Bill > HB2970

This bill amends Arizona law regarding fraudulent schemes and artifices, clarifying that a person who knowingly obtains any benefit through false or fraudulent pretenses is guilty of a class 2 felony, and that the victim's reliance on these pretenses is not a required element to prove the offense. It also specifies that individuals convicted of such fraud involving $100,000 or more, or the illegal handling of opioids, are generally ineligible for early release or sentence suspension until their full sentence is served, with limited exceptions. Crucially, the bill adds a provision stating that in prosecutions for these fraudulent schemes, the state does not need to prove that all actions constituting the crime occurred within Arizona or a single local jurisdiction, and it is not a defense if some actions took place elsewhere. The definition of "scheme or artifice to defraud" is also clarified to include schemes aimed at depriving someone of their intangible right to honest services.

Justice

https://apps.azleg.gov/BillStatus/BillOverview/85194