Howard County White Collar Criminal Lawyer
The term white collar crime typically refers to a class of non-violent crimes having to do with obtaining money through fraud or embezzlement. Even though these are crimes are non-violent, they can still have very serious consequences including imprisonment.
Prosecutors might examine long histories of correspondence, emails, texts, tax documents, internal memos from companies, and other evidence in order to demonstrate that a defendant mishandled funds, obtained money through fraud, breached a fiduciary duty, embezzled from a company or engaged in money laundering.
White collar crimes are often distinguished from other crimes and may be unfamiliar to some criminal attorneys. If you are charged with a white collar crime in Howard County, it is best to speak with a Howard County white collar criminal lawyer right away.
Because the investigation of white-collar crimes may include lengthy depositions and requests to turn over documents, it is essential to have a seasoned defense attorney by your side.
Embezzlement
Title 7, Subtitle 1, Part II, Section 7-113 states that a fiduciary may not fraudulently and willfully appropriate money contrary to the requirements of that fiduciary’s responsibilities. A fiduciary in this case is someone who owes a special duty, pertaining to the use of money, to another person or entity. The CEO of a company, for example, may be held as a fiduciary to the company and its shareholders. That is, it must act in the interest of the company with regards to decisions about the company and the use of company funds.
Section 7-113 also states that a fiduciary may not secrete money contrary to their responsibilities. While the first provision essentially refers to lying about where money is being spent, this clause refers to stealing money from the company.
It may not sound like a serious crime to some, but a conviction for misdemeanor embezzlement carries a minimum sentence of one-year imprisonment in Howard County. A Howard County white collar criminal attorney could demonstrate innocence by showing a clear paper trail documenting where funds were allocated and for what reason.
Fraud
Fraud generally refers to the knowing misrepresentation of a material fact in order to induce someone to act to their own detriment. In Howard County, there are many types of specific fraud crimes listed in the criminal statutes. Some, such as credit card theft or Medicaid fraud is fairly common. However, there are fraud cases that could involve racing a horse under a false name.
Contact a Howard County White Collar Criminal Attorney Today
A conviction for white collar crimes such as fraud or embezzlement can often come with stiff penalties, including minimum prison sentences of one year. The prosecution when building a case for a conviction might request a myriad of documents going back several years. With the use of bank statements, correspondence, tax records, and other documents, the prosecutor will have plenty of information to use in their attempt to prove guilt.
A Howard County white collar criminal lawyer could defend you by limiting the number of documents the prosecutors have access to and building a defense that demonstrates innocence. Speak with a Howard County white collar attorney today to learn more about how a legal professional could help you.