Centerville White-Collar Crime Attorney

Various Types of White-Collar Crime

Embezzlement is by far the most common form of white-collar crime, usually involving the theft of money or other property by a person who has been entrusted with it. Embezzlement is also known as larceny, meaning someone else’s property was taken without payment. Extortion is more commonly known as blackmail and involves threatening someone to reveal embarrassing or damaging facts about that person to their family or the public unless they pay not to have the threat carried out. Extortion can also include other threats such as physical harm or damage to another’s property.

Fraud charges often pertain to health care fraud or tax fraud and involve dishonesty which is calculated to gain an advantage. Fraud is most common in buying or selling property such as real estate as well as intangible property such as stock and bonds. Other forms of white-collar crime which are not as prevalent are price fixing, racketeering, computer fraud, perjury, securities fraud and environmental law violations.

Forgery is another type of white-collar crime. Under Ohio Revised Code §2913.31, a person could be charged with forgery if he or she: 

• Forges an ID card;
• Sells a forged ID card;
• Forges any type of writing in an attempt to make it appear genuine, or
• Forges another person’s writing without his or her authority.

Forgery can be charged as a first-degree misdemeanor or a second, third, fourth or fifth-degree felony, depending on the circumstances surrounding the charges.

Identity theft or identity fraud is a more and more common white-collar criminal offense. Using, obtaining or possessing another person’s personally identifying information without having received expressed consent from that person while having the intent to represent the identifying information as their own or pretend to be the person can result in identity theft or identity fraud charges. Identify fraud or theft can be charged as a first, second, third, fourth or fifth-degree felony, depending on the circumstances.

Medicaid fraud is also becoming more and more common. An individual can be charged with the offense of Medicaid fraud if he or she knowingly makes or causes to be made a false or misleading statement with a goal of receiving reimbursement or using the medical assistance program. Medicaid fraud can be charged as a third, fourth or fifth-degree felony.

How White-Collar Crimes are Prosecuted

Depending on whether a state or federal law has been broken, the crime may be prosecuted at the state or federal level. Those who are convicted of a white-collar crime will usually spend time in jail, be responsible for making restitution to the victims of the crime and will be hit with large fines. As our world becomes more and more high-tech white-collar crime is on the rise, most especially those crimes which involve the use of computers. The bottom line is that if you are convicted of a white-collar crime your life will change in ways you cannot imagine. Your entire future is at risk, and your honesty and integrity are being questioned. Such charges can damage your professional and personal reputation and can be very hard to recover from especially if you are convicted.