Teresa Vogt, of Anaheim, pleaded guilty last week to obstruction of justice charges and agreed to testify against her former business partners, who had been indicted in an investment fraud scheme in May 2005.

Prosecutors say that Vogt, along with eight co-defendants operated a fraudulent foreign currency exchange that promised returns of 4% per month. Instead, returns paid to early investors came from deposits made by new investors in the scheme. The fund, which operated from 1998 to 2002, is thought to have taken in millions of dollars.

The obstruction of justice charge arose from Vogt’s admission that she and her partners failed to forward information and records that were subpoenaed by a federal grand jury investigating the operation. Instead, the group forwarded 19 boxes of operational records to Costa Rica. Vogt will be sentenced in March 2010 and faces up to 10 years in federal prison. Five remaining defendants will be tried on obstruction of justice charges in October, and a second trial involving the original investment fraud charges will begin in March 2010.

If you’re facing federal obstruction of justice charges, Los Angeles federal criminal defense attorney Robert Michael Helfend is ready to help you prepare a successful criminal defense.

Mr. Helfend has more than 25 years of experience exclusively in criminal defense and will work aggressively to get the charges against you reduced or dropped. Mr. Helfend has established a reputation in both Southern California state courts and federal district courts as an aggressive, tireless criminal defense attorney who fights hard for his clients throughout the judicial process.

Contact Robert Helfend today for a free consultation on your federal obstruction of justice case.

Photo Credit: Ahmed Rabea, via Flickr