How Do White-Collar Criminals Operate?
If you are charged with a white-collar crime in Orange County or anywhere in Southern California, you must be represented and advised by an Orange County white-collar defense attorney, and you must reach out to that attorney immediately.
Not all thieves carry guns or wear masks. White-collar criminals commit thievery using computers and phones, fraudulent bookkeeping and accounting methods, psychological manipulation, stealth, and outright deception.
If the federal authorities become involved, as they often do in white-collar cases, the stakes will be higher, and the potential penalties for a conviction will usually be harsher. But whether you face a state or federal white-collar criminal charge, you must have an Orange County white-collar defense lawyer working on your behalf.
What Offenses Are Considered White-Collar Crimes?
When someone uses deception or fraud to obtain cash or property, that person has probably committed a white-collar crime. White-collar crimes include but are not limited to:
- bankruptcy fraud (not declaring assets or filing in multiple states)
- computer crime (or cybercrime, any crime that involves a computer and a network)
- conspiracy (any plan between two or more persons to break the law in the future)
- internet fraud
- identity theft
- forgery
- insider trading
- extortion
- money laundering
- embezzlement
- credit card fraud
- counterfeiting
The penalties for white-collar criminal convictions are based on the nature and severity of the offense and the defendant’s previous convictions (if any). These penalties may include fines, restitution, probation, community service, and, in the most egregious cases, jail or prison.
What Are the Facts About White-Collar Crime?
According to the FBI, white-collar crimes cost the U.S. over $300 billion each year. An armed bank robbery averages about $3,000, but the Data Processing Management Association tells us a computer crime may cost a bank $500,000 or more.
Potentially, one white-collar crime can throw scores of workers out of their jobs, devastate businesses, take savings from families, and cost investors billions. These are the reasons police agencies and the courts aggressively pursue and prosecute alleged white-collar criminals.
When Will You Need a White-Collar Defense Attorney?
You don’t have to wait until you’ve been arrested and charged with a white-collar crime to seek help from a white-collar defense attorney. If you learn that you are the target of a white-collar criminal investigation, it is essential to have a defense attorney’s advice as early as possible.
If you believe the authorities are investigating you, an Orange County white-collar defense attorney can save you time, money, and, in some cases, a great deal of grief. Because white-collar suspects presumably pose no risk to the public, the police may take weeks or months to interview witnesses and develop evidence so that their final case against a suspect is persuasive.
During that time, your attorney’s personal and direct intervention may pressure the authorities to expedite their investigation. Your lawyer will work to “get ahead” of the investigation and may arrange an acceptable plea bargain in advance or offer evidence to keep charges from being filed.
How Will Your Attorney Help You?
If law enforcement officers place you under arrest for a white-collar crime, or if you fear you may be arrested, retaining an Orange County white-collar defense lawyer right away is essential. Any delay in obtaining a lawyer’s advice and services puts you at a disadvantage.
A defense attorney’s early intervention in a white-collar criminal investigation may include speaking to the investigating law enforcement officers, meeting with witnesses, and discussing the investigation and the possible charges with the prosecutor.
Your attorney may present the prosecutor with facts and evidence overlooked by the investigators. In some rare instances, defense lawyers have persuaded prosecutors to drop white-collar cases entirely.
How Are White-Collar Investigations Conducted and Charges Filed?
During a white-collar criminal investigation’s “pre-filing” stage, the police look for evidence that a particular suspect has committed a white-collar crime. When the police feel they have sufficient evidence, they present it to a prosecutor. Only a prosecutor may file a criminal charge.
If the prosecutor agrees that the evidence is persuasive, he or she will file one or more criminal charges with the court. The court will issue a warrant for the suspect’s arrest, or in less serious cases, a suspect may be notified of the charge by mail and assigned a date to appear in court.
The statute of limitations is the time limit the state has to bring a charge against a criminal suspect. California’s statutes of limitations are one year for misdemeanor charges, three years for most nonviolent felony charges, and longer for certain violent felonies.
What Should You Know About Your Rights in White-Collar Cases?
If you are the subject of a criminal investigation by any local, state, or federal law enforcement agency in southern California, the essential thing to remember is that your constitutional right to a lawyer and your right to remain silent are rights that you have now and at all times.
Your rights do not “kick in” when the police arrest you or the state brings a charge against you. If investigators ask to interrogate you, exercise your right to remain silent. Say something like, “I prefer not to answer questions until my lawyer can be here,” and say no more.
If you are under investigation for a white-collar crime or if you believe the police are targeting you for a white-collar criminal investigation, call an Orange County criminal defense attorney immediately.
Bring Your White-Collar Criminal Case to The SoCal Law Network
If you receive a conviction for a white-collar crime, the penalties may include a fine, probation, and jail or prison, but the help you need is right here. A lawyer at The SoCal Law Network will handle your case, protect your rights, and guide you through each step of the judicial process.
With almost fifty years of combined legal experience, the criminal defense lawyers at The SoCal Law Network offer sound legal advice and effective defense representation to those charged with white-collar crimes in Orange County and throughout Southern California.
If you’ve been charged with a white-collar crime, or if you believe you are under investigation for a white-collar crime, call The SoCal Law Network now at 949-779-3799. Your first consultation with The SoCal Law Network is provided with no cost or obligation.
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