Originally Posted by
Often1
Not sure that there is much of a lesser charge.
'Wire fraud' is normally a secondary charge, covering whatever financial transactions utilized to facilitate the primary crime or transfer of the ill-gotten gains into your possession.
On the flip side, there's plenty of a hammer. Maximum penalty is 20 years + $250K fine, so plenty of room to maneuver.
That's why it's a hammer.
They tell the guy he can get 20 years for the wire fraud, but they'll consider dropping the charge if they plead guilty to xxxx. Tends to work.