WHITE COLLAR CRIMES

Bank fraud involves the use of illegal means to obtain money, assets, or other property owned or held by a financial institution. It also occurs when illegal means are used to obtain money from depositors by fraudulently posing as a bank or other financial institution. Bank fraud is typically considered a white collar crime because unlike bank robbery or theft, fraud involves some sort of non-violent scheme. Criminal charges relating to bank fraud are very serious and it is always advised to contact a criminal defense attorney to discuss a possible defense.

Bankruptcy fraud is an extremely serious crime, prosecuted vigorously, and the penalties are steep. It is also considered a white-collar crime and typically takes four general forms:

• Debtors conceal assets to avoid having to forfeit them;
• Individuals intentionally file false or incomplete forms;
• Individuals sometimes file multiple times using either false information or real information in several states;
• Bankruptcy fraud sometimes involves bribing a court-appointed trustee.

It is considered bribery when someone offers, gives, receives, or solicits something of value for the purpose of influencing the action of an official in discharge of his public or legal duties. Bribery is a serious federal offense and those who are subject to a federal investigation regarding bribery of a public official are advised to contact a criminal defense attorney immediately.

Counterfeiting involves the unauthorized reproduction of goods or services that appear to originate from a legitimate source. This can include not only creating fraudulent items, but also altering legitimate documents and goods. The counterfeiting of U.S. obligations and securities can provide for a fine of up to $250,000 and a prison sentence of up to twenty years. Fines and prison sentences can be much greater pending certain details of the offense. There are several possible defenses to counterfeiting charges and a skilled, experienced criminal defense attorney can make a big difference in the outcome of these types of cases.

Credit card fraud occurs when a person uses a credit or debit card as a fraudulent source of funds in a financial transaction. The Federal Government is cracking down on credit card fraud and punishments are severe. If you are facing credit card fraud charges, or feel you may be in the near future, do not hesitate to contact a lawyer.

Embezzlement involves a person stealing money that was entrusted to them by the victim. In these cases, the defendant is accused of dealing with property in a way that is inconsistent with the arrangement between the defendant and the owner of the property. It is a form of fraud and is prosecuted on the federal level. Our federal criminal attorneys have successfully represented clients in various embezzlement cases and can help in your situation as well.

Export control charges involve the accused exporting something that shouldn’t have been sent outside of the United States for various reasons, including:

• the item is illegal to export;
• the item requires a license to be sent out of the country;
• the item was exported to a country our government does not allow trade with.

Export control charges are prosecuted vigorously and can be charged in a number of different ways, all of which can entail significant time in a federal penitentiary.

Extortion involves obtaining money or property through force or threats. Extortion is a felony in all 50 states. If facing charges of extortion, please contact a criminal defense attorney to discuss a possible defense.

Federal tax crimes are investigated by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in conjunction with other federal agencies, such as the FBI. There is a difference between negligence and fraud, and the line is not always clear. It is important to retain a top federal criminal defense attorney with experience handling cases that involve tax crimes.

Health insurance fraud deals with a situation in which a company or an individual defrauds an insurer or government health care program. Healthcare fraud can consist of many different types of schemes, most commonly:

• Billing for services not rendered;
• Upcoding of services;
• Upcoding of items;
• Duplicate claims;
• Unbundling;
• Excessive services;
• Unnecessary services;
• Kickbacks.

Identity theft occurs when someone deliberately uses someone else’s identity as a method of financial gain or to obtain credit and other benefits in the other person’s name. It is so prevalent in today’s society that those accused of identity theft often face overzealous prosecution. An attorney experienced in these cases is familiar with tactics used by prosecution and can have a significant impact on the outcome of your case.

Charges of investment / securities fraud are considered when the Federal Government discovers evidence of deceptive practices in the stock or commodities markets that induce investors to make either purchase or sale decisions on the basis of false information, frequently resulting in losses, in violation of securities laws.

Mail and wire fraud are considered federal crimes in the United States and consist of any fraudulent scheme to intentionally deprive another of property or honest services via mail or wire communication. Mail and wire fraud are considered very serious federal offenses and vigorous prosecution of these crimes demands a top tier defense.

Money laundering is a very generic term used to describe the process by which people make illegitimate funds appear as though they have been obtained from a legitimate source. It is a federal crime and these cases are often extremely complex, requiring the attention of an attorney who knows the ins-and-outs of both sides of these investigations.

Mortgage fraud occurs when the intent is to materially misrepresent or omit information on a mortgage loan application to obtain a loan or to obtain a larger loan that would have not been approved had the lender been provided with the correct information. An example of mortgage fraud would be if a home buyer, or broker, submitted fake tax forms or forged bank statements to the mortgage lending institution. These crimes are prosecuted heavily and early intervention by an experienced federal criminal attorney can have a significant impact on the outcome of these cases.

Public corruption involves a breach of public trust and/or abuse of power by federal, state, and local officials and their accomplices in the private sector. A government official may face corruption charges if they are accused of demanding, soliciting, accepting, or agreeing to receive something of value in return for being influenced in the performance of their official duties. Many public officials are licensed attorneys and understand the importance of obtaining legal representation.