Christopher F. Morales
Attorney at Law
Certified Specialist Criminal Law • State Bar of California • Board of Legal Specialization
1388 Sutter Street, 8th Floor • San Francisco, CA 94109
Tel: 415-552-1215 • Fax: 415-674-7643 • chris@moralesdefense.com
10 STEPS TO TAKE WHEN THE FBI SHOWS UP AT YOUR DOOR
1. The agents will be armed and may have their guns drawn; reassure your employees that everything is OK and advise them to fully cooperate with the agents.
2. Ask the lead agent for the name and cell phone number of the Assistant U.S. Attorney who is in charge of the case.
3. Call the Assistant U.S. attorney and ask for the identification of the Assistant U.S. attorney who is in charge of the case.
4. If the agents want to interview someone, as best you can, make that person or persons available to the agents.
5. Tell the agent you are sending everyone else home. You will be met with resistance from the agent, but it’s unfair to keep all the employees on the premises if they are not targets of the investigation. Send them home.
6. Give your people information about their rights, such as their right to have an attorney present with them during an interview. Tell your employees that the company may pay for the attorney. But, don’t give them the impression that you are dissuading your employees from speaking to the agents.
7. If possible, tell your employees to not destroy anything including emails and telephone messages. Any destruction of evidence after the FBI appears on the scene will lead to an obstruction of justice charge for the perpetrator.
8. The agents will certainly seize computers. If you have an I.T. person, make sure that person is available to the agents.
9. Call your criminal defense attorney. He or she should immediately, if possible, interview the same people who were interviewed by the FBI.
10. Go home and have a martini; you’ve done as much as you can for the moment.
THIS DOCUMENT MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT EXPRESS WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE MORALES LAW FIRM
