Have you been arrested and charged with credit card abuse? This is a serious charge that is related to Theft. A conviction for credit card abuse carries significant criminal penalties, but can impact your life in ways you may not have imagined. A conviction can affect your employment, or ability to find employment. It can affect your ability to get into college or receive federal aid to pay for college. It can also affect your ability to get into medical or law school, or get a medical license or a law license. If you have been arrested and or charged, it is crucial that you talk to an attorney and develop a gameplan to attack your charges.

What is Credit Card Abuse in Texas?

Credit card abuse or credit card fraud essentially means presenting a card for payment with the intent to benefit fraudulently. You must know that the card has not been issued to you. In addition, you must know that you don’t have the consent of the cardholder. The statute can be found in the Texas Penal Code Chapter 32 which deals with fraud crimes.

Credit card abuse can come in different ways. It can mean stealing credit cards, or possessing credit cards of which you are not the official card holder. It can mean scraping credit or debit numbers and making fake cards or online purchases. This offense also includes applying for and/or receiving credit using false pretenses. It can mean paying with a credit card that has been revoked, cancelled, or is expired.

Penalties for Credit Card Abuse in Texas

Credit Card Abuse is a State Jail Felony in Texas. This means that a conviction could mean state jail time, and the punishments range between 180 days and up to 2 years in state jail. Like all felonies, conviction could mean a maximum of a $10,000 fine.