Criminal Defense Lawyers

Do Federal Wiretapping Charges Lead to Prison Time?

Do Federal Wiretapping Charges Lead to Prison Time?

When it comes to federal wiretapping laws, things can get a little complicated. There are a lot of rules about when and how the government can wiretap someone, and breaking those rules can lead to some pretty serious consequences. So let’s break it down: Can you go to prison for illegal wiretapping under federal law? The short answer is yes, definitely. Federal wiretapping charges can absolutely land you behind bars.

Now for the longer explanation. There are a few different federal laws that cover wiretapping. The main one is Title III of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968. This law makes it a crime to intentionally intercept any wire, oral or electronic communication. Intercept means acquiring the contents of any communication through the use of a device. And the law covers telephone calls, in-person conversations, emails, texts, etc. [1]

So if you intentionally tap someone’s phone, bug their office, hack into their email, or otherwise secretly monitor their communications, you’re violating federal wiretap law. And it’s punishable by up to 5 years in prison. The law also prohibits disclosing or using any information that you get through an illegal wiretap. That part can also land you up to 5 years behind bars. [1]

Now, there are some exceptions that allow wiretapping in certain circumstances. Law enforcement can get a court order to wiretap someone they’re investigating. And there’s an exception if one of the parties to the communication consents to the interception. But outside of those exceptions, doing any kind of secret surveillance or spying on someone’s communications without a court order is illegal wiretapping under federal law.

Most states also have their own wiretapping statutes, which usually mirror the federal law. Here in California, for example, it’s a wobbler offense that can be charged as either a misdemeanor or felony. Illegal wiretapping is punishable by up to one year in county jail if charged as a misdemeanor. But it can also be filed as a felony with up to 3 years in state prison. [2]

Now in practice, how often do these wiretapping charges actually result in jail or prison time? Well, it really depends on the specific circumstances of each case. For the most serious offenses – like hacking someone’s phone or illegally bugging an office – defendants often do end up serving at least some time behind bars. The potential penalties are stiff enough that judges frequently feel that some incarceration is warranted.

But for less egregious scenarios, it’s not uncommon for defendants to get probation or alternative sentencing and avoid prison altogether. Things like recording a phone call when only one party consented, or intercepting an email or text without authorization. Those acts are still illegal wiretapping under the law. But judges may feel less inclined to put someone behind bars if there weren’t major privacy violations.

Notable Federal Wiretapping Cases

To get a better sense of how these charges play out in real life, let’s look at a few notable federal wiretapping prosecutions over the years:

• Anthony Pellicano – This infamous Hollywood private investigator spent over 15 years in prison after being convicted on 76 counts of illegal wiretapping. Pellicano illegally wiretapped celebrities like Sylvester Stallone and also bribed police officers to run illegal background checks. He was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison. [3]
• Linda Tripp – The woman who secretly recorded conversations with Monica Lewinsky about the Bill Clinton affair ultimately served no jail time. But she was convicted of illegally wiretapping Lewinsky by recording their phone calls without consent. Tripp was sentenced to one year of probation, community service, and a $1000 fine. [4]
• Raj Rajaratnam – The billionaire hedge fund manager was sentenced to 11 years in prison after an extensive wiretapping operation to gain inside information about public companies. Prosecutors said it was the most extensive use of wiretaps ever in an insider trading case. [5]

As you can see, sentences really do run the gamut from probation all the way up to over a decade behind bars depending on the circumstances. But federal judges do take these crimes seriously and hand down prison time in cases where there are major privacy breaches and violations of trust.

Defenses to Federal Wiretapping Charges

If you do face charges for illegal wiretapping or intercepting communications, there are a few legal defenses that may help you avoid conviction or reduce your penalties:

• Consent – If the person you intercepted gave you permission to record or listen in on the conversation, that’s a complete defense. The law only prohibits wiretapping without consent from at least one party involved.
• No intent – These are specific intent crimes, so if there’s no evidence you deliberately meant to intercept the communications that could undermine the charges.
• Statutory authority – Police officers and federal agents can argue they were acting under proper legal authority if the wiretapping was done as part of an investigation.
• Entrapment – If you can show law enforcement induced you to commit a wiretapping offense you otherwise wouldn’t have, that may provide a defense.

Raising reasonable doubt about whether your actions actually violated the wiretapping laws could be enough to avoid conviction in some cases. But it really comes down to the prosecutor’s ability to prove each element of the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.

Final Thoughts

Secretly listening in on other people’s conversations or hacking into their devices is clearly illegal. While not every federal wiretapping case ends in prison time, the potential penalties are severe. For serious privacy breaches, multi-year sentences are not uncommon. The risks simply aren’t worth it just to snoop on someone’s communications without their knowledge. If you’re ever tempted to try, remember – is it really worth 5 years of your life?