The term “white collar crime” generally refers to non-violent crimes motivated by a desire for financial gain. While not the type of crime that you generally hear about on the evening news, people who engage in white collar crimes are aggressively pursued and prosecuted by Illinois authorities. In recent years, several high-profile cases of white collar crime have made national headlines and resulted in jail sentences for the perpetrators, including those involving public figures such as Martha Stewart and Bernie Madoff. The legal consequences for white collar crimes can be extremely serious, and can involve significant fines and other penalties in addition to potential jail time. Furthermore, there may be collateral consequences associated with white collar crimes, including deportation or the loss or denial of a professional license. As a result, it is extremely important for anyone accused of white collar crime to retain the services of an experienced Chicago criminal defense attorney as soon as possible.
Examples of White Collar Crimes
The attorneys of Goldman & Associates defend against a variety of white collar crimes, and focus on obtaining the best possible result for each client we handle. Among the types of cases we handle are:
Embezzlement – Embezzlement is the theft of funds by a person to whom they had been entrusted, such as in an employer-employee relationship.
RICO violations – The RICO Act focuses on racketeering violations, and allows people to be charged who have ordered others to commit criminal acts, usually in the context of organized crime.
Ponzi schemes – The schemes involve an individual or an organization setting up a fraudulent investment scheme in which investors are paid from capital from later investors, rather than from any profit that the operator of the scheme is earning.
Cyber crimes – The term “cybercrime” refers to crimes committed using a computer or a network. Examples of cyber crimes include fraudulently obtaining another’s personal information, stealing funds from an account, making purchases with someone else’s credit cards, or obtaining credit using another person’s identity.
Insider trading – Insider trading occurs when a company insider trades securities based on information that is not available to the general public.
Mail and wire fraud – Schemes that operate to defraud another person of property through the mail or by “wire” are illegal under federal law. The term “wire” has been expanded to include communication by email server, as well as through television and radio.
Bankruptcy fraud – Bankruptcy fraud can include conduct such as concealing assets when filing for bankruptcy or filing false or incomplete paperwork with the bankruptcy court, as well as other types of fraud.
Contact an Experienced Chicago Criminal Defense Attorney
Anyone facing an Illinois white collar crime case should retain a criminal defense lawyer as soon as possible. The attorneys of Goldman & Associates are dedicated to helping people facing criminal actions bring their cases to the most favorable result possible. We offer free consultations, and have five offices around the Chicagoland area. To schedule a consultation with one of our attorneys today, call us today at (773) 484-3131 or (847) 215-2600.
