If any of those potential
criminal offenses were federal crimes, such as mail or wire fraud, then interference with the investigation could conceivably be construed as obstruction of justice, or even aiding and abetting the commission of such a crime or serving as an accessory after the fact to the
criminal offense, said several legal experts who declined to speak
on the
record because of the sensitivity of the investigation.
The charges that will be filed in a specific case will depend
on the seriousness of the
offense, the defendant's history of similar behavior, and the defendant's
criminal record.