What is White Collar crime? White Collar Crimes Defined
White collar crime refers to a group of crimes that are nonviolent in nature and usually financially motivated. White collar crimes are typically committed by professionals including government officials, financial workers and other business professionals.
Acts of white collar crime usually entail deceit, fraud and violation of trust based on the part of the perpetrator. White collar crimes are taken very seriously and convictions are aggressively pursued by the criminal justice system.
White collar crimes include but are not limited to:
- Ponzi schemes
- Insider trading
- Securities and Commodities Fraud
- Embezzlement
- Money laundering
- Cybercrime
Depending upon the nature of the white collar crimes committed, charges may be brought at either the State or Federal level.
White Collar Crime in the Media
A recent example of white collar crime covered extensively by national media outlets was the Bernie Madoff financial scandal. Madoff was convicted of defrauding investors out of 65 billion dollars through a sophisticated ponzi scheme. After pleading guilty in 2009, he was sentenced to 150 years in prison for his crimes.
While not all white collar crimes will receive the same amount of media attention – thousands of professionals will face white collar criminal charges this year in New Jersey alone.
Do I Need to Hire a White Collar Crime Attorney?
Whether you are facing white collar criminal charges at the State or Federal level- hiring an experienced white collar crime attorney is a necessity – not a luxury. Punishments for white collar crimes are stiff and can have a major impact on your finances and freedom. The moment you are arrested or notified that you are facing charges related to white collar crime, you need to seek competent counsel with an understanding of how white collar crimes are prosecuted and how to defend against those charges.
Building a Defense Against White Collar Crime Charges
Hiring a white collar crime lawyer is crucial to limiting the damage to your life that a white collar conviction can cause. Everyone makes mistakes-having a lawyer that knows the system can save your life. Our criminal defense attorneys include a former New Jersey prosecutor that understands the ins and outs of the criminal justice system. Our attorneys understand when it’s time to mount a defense and take your case to trial – or craft a plea agreement that helps minimize the impact on your freedom and family.
