Attorney Peter M. Liss Case Results

Insurance Fraud

The owners of an Escondido landscaping company were accused of underreporting payroll to reduce their workers’ compensation insurance premiums multiple times between 2014 and 2021. The owners were charged with five counts of insurance fraud, punishable by up to 9 years in prison.

“These are good people who run a solid company that employs many individuals, and they contribute a lot to this community,” Liss said in an interview with the San Diego Union-Tribune. “People should not rush to judgment and just wait to see how this unfolds in court.”

Peter Liss represented one of the owners and successfully negotiated the dismissal of the felony charges. His client was sentenced to misdemeanor diversion, allowing the charges to be dismissed without jail time after the diversion period.

Reported by: San Diego Union-Tribune

Fraudulently Obtaining a Controlled Substance

In 2006, the executive director of the North County Humane Society was arrested by the DEA after obtaining 3,600 Vicodin tablets, allegedly for her dog. She was charged with obtaining a controlled substance through fraud, punishable by up to three years in prison.

Mr. Liss was able to arrange for his client to go through a drug diversion program, allowing her to avoid jail.

Reported by: San Diego Union-Tribune

Probation Violation

A man on probation legally filmed a violent Border Patrol arrest as another undocumented worker escaped capture. After he sent the footage to ABC 10 News, which aired it, Border Patrol agents then came to his house. He gave up his cell phone when asked to but refused to help them find the individual who escaped. He was then arrested for failing to cooperate with a police investigation. One officer later claimed he arrested the man for violating his probation agreement by failing to check in with his case worker after interacting with law enforcement officers.

Peter Liss argued that the officer changed his story because his client was not legally required to turn over the undocumented worker. “You have no obligation, whether you’re on probation or not, to basically help law enforcement do its job,” he said. Peter Liss and the ACLU argued that the arrest was retaliation for releasing the video to the press. Beyond that, phone records showed that he did try to contact his caseworker multiple times.

The judge sided with Mr. Liss, explaining that the defendant did contact his case worker and was not provided with a written notice detailing how he violated the program rules and his appellate rights, as required by law.

Reported by: The Press-Enterprise

Identity Theft and Grand Theft

A math teacher handling the books for a local Pop Warner league wrote checks to pay off her personal debt, intending to pay the money back. Eventually, she took so much that she could not reimburse the league. “Ms. Owens was so overburdened with her own economic crisis that she did not think through what she was doing,” Mr. Liss said. “She lost everything she had as a result.” She was charged with three counts of felony identity theft and 22 counts of felony grand theft, punishable by up to 18 years in prison.

She pleaded guilty to five felony charges, including embezzlement, identity theft, and grand theft. Thanks to Peter Liss, she only served one year in jail and five years on probation. She was also ordered to pay back the money in installments and attend credit counseling classes.

Reported by: San Diego Union-Tribune and Baltimore Sun

Conspiracy and Grand Theft

A real estate agent participated in a “land grant” program targeting people at risk of foreclosure. He recruited participants, asking them to sign their deeds over to a private company and rent their homes. The scam caused over 400 desperate homeowners to pay fees for a service that did nothing to help them keep their homes. He was charged with multiple counts of conspiracy, grand theft, and deceitful practices as a foreclosure consultant, punishable by decades in prison.

Mr. Liss argued that his client believed in the program and was conned by the scam’s ringleader. “He had a very unsophisticated understanding of the program,” Liss said, “I don’t think that he intended on scamming anyone.”

Under Peter Liss’ guidance, the client pleaded guilty and served two years behind bars. The ringleader of the scam, who had a different attorney, was sentenced to 46 years.

Reported by: San Diego Union-Tribune multiple times and Voice of San Diego.

Drive-By Shooting Murder

When a first-degree murder is done through a drive-by shooting, it’s considered a “special circumstance,” meaning the prosecution can seek the death penalty or life imprisonment without parole.

A client of Peter Liss faced a life sentence for this crime. However, because the victim had threatened the life of the defendant and another participant of the drive-by, Mr. Liss was able to strike up a plea bargain that resulted in his client being convicted of voluntary manslaughter. He was sentenced to only 15 years of prison.

First-Degree Murder With a Prior Strike

A man with a strike on his record was charged with first-degree murder after he was accused of shooting a woman 10 times in a parking lot. He faced life imprisonment.

Peter Liss and his co-counsel, Chris Whelton, secured a plea bargain for voluntary manslaughter with a gun that resulted in a 27-year sentence.

Reported by: NBC 7 San Diego