What Is White Collar Crime?

When we think of criminal defense, we think of crimes that are of the violent nature; murders, firearm charges, assault and battery, etc. However, there is another area of offenses that may not be physically violent, but are still serious in a different way; these crimes are called white collar crimes. If you are being investigated or charged with a white collar crime, one of the most important things you can do is contact a skilled attorney for help.

White collar crimes refer to offenses that are non-violent crimes that usually involve financial transactions. These sorts of crimes occur when deceit or concealment is used to obtain money, property, services, or some other benefit or advantage and often involve the breach of a fiduciary duty or insider trading. Typical white collar criminals are managers, office workers, and executives. White collar crime is a broad area of conduct and can include any of the following offenses:

Bank, Check, or ATM fraud;
Bribery;
Computer fraud;
Consumer fraud;
Counterfeiting;
Embezzlement;
Credit Card Fraud;
ID theft;
Environmental crimes;
Forgery;
Extortion;
Healthcare or Insurance Fraud;
Wire or Mail Fraud;
Mortgage Fraud;
Money laundering;
RICO violations;
Public Corruption;
Stock fraud;
Ponzi schemes;
Tax fraud.

PENALTIES FOR VARIOUS WHITE COLLAR CRIMES

Although white collar crimes do not usually result in grisly deaths or grievous injuries from violence, these crimes are prosecuted passionately and their punishments are significant and vary just as much as the actual crimes themselves do. Penalties for various white collar crimes can include any of the following:

Probation or community service.
Aside from the seizure of any fruits of the crime, the defendant may also be subject to fines, ranging from the tens of thousands of dollars to the hundreds of thousands of dollars in many cases.
Property Forfeiture.
On average, a person convicted of a white collar crime is sentenced to four years in prison; some white collar crimes have mandatory sentences as well.

Being investigated, arrested, and/or charged for a white collar crime could mean significant consequences. This is why it is so important to have a talented criminal defense attorney who can protect your rights. At the state or federal level, a violation of a white collar crime can be significant; the investigation process, the trial process, and the sentencing process are all convoluted and complex. You will need the help of a skilled criminal defense attorney who can show where the investigators went wrong in assessing your situation or where the prosecution improperly analyzed, presented, interpreted, or otherwise utilized certain types of evidence. You will need an attorney who is able to fight for you until the very end, even if you are convicted, for a lighter sentence. Your defense will need to be intricately based on the facts of your situation and the conduct, or misconduct, of the prosecutors and investigators involved. Who could be better to analyze such conduct than someone who was former prosecutor and investigator himself? Eugene Fimbianti has the experience and the knowledge to help you through a white collar crime charge; contact The Law Offices of Eugene Fimbianti today.

WHAT IS WHITE COLLAR CRIME?