by: T. Going
White Collar Crimes are defined as non-violent acts committed by individuals or businesses in the course of daily working activity. Some of these crimes include embezzlement, bribery, tax evasion, false advertising and other types of fraud. They are generally used to obtain money, property or services to gain advantage in business or in ones personal life.
According to the FBI, white collar crimes cost the United States more than $300 billion annually. These crimes are considered to be federal offenses and even though state and local law enforcement may be involved in the cases, charges will most often be presented by federal agencies such as the FBI, IRS, US Customs, Secret Service, EPA or the SEC.
Penalties for white collar offenses generally include fines, house arrest, community confinement and sometimes imprisonment. Federal agencies will many times make mistakes when prosecuting these criminals. They routinely make mistakes that violate peoples constitutional and civil rights. That is why it’s so important to hire a lawyer if you’ve been charged with any of these types of crimes. Just going to trial can be enough to humiliate, embarrass and often time destroy the future of a growing business. It’s best to just settle these cases outside of the courtroom and protect the name of your business.