Manhattan White Collar Crime Lawyer

Manhattan White Collar Crime Attorney

White collar crimes are sometimes considered to be less severe crimes, but they can result in very serious penalties for those convicted. A conviction for these crimes can result in significant fines, prison or jail time, and restitution or damages paid to the victims. It can also result in serious professional consequences. It’s important to secure the support of a Manhattan white collar crime lawyer if you have been arrested or investigated for white collar offenses.

At The Vitaliano Law Firm, we represent our clients with a rigorous and effective defense. We understand the long-term effects that a conviction can have on your personal reputation and your business opportunities. Our team helps guide you through the charges against you as we determine the right defense for your unique circumstances.

What Is White Collar Crime?

White collar crimes are differentiated from other criminal offenses by two main qualities:

1. The crimes are non-violent.
2. The action was planned out beforehand and motivated by financial gain.

In some cases, white collar crimes are connected to other crimes, such as the money laundering of resources obtained by committing other crimes. These other offenses can be violent, but they are not white collar crimes themselves.

White collar crimes are most frequently committed by individuals who are employed in a position that gives them access to their employer’s resources. Some of these crimes are misdemeanors, while others are felonies. Many white collar crimes are also charged under federal jurisdiction due to crossing state borders.

Types of White Collar Crimes We Handle at The Vitaliano Law Firm

Some of the offenses that are considered to be white collar crimes include:

• Fraud: Fraud is the use of deception and misrepresentation for financial gain. There are many types of fraud, including credit card fraud, check fraud, wire fraud, healthcare fraud, and investment fraud.
• Forgery: Forgery is the creation of fraudulent documents, completing important forms through deceit, or forging another’s signature.
• Pyramid Schemes: Also called Ponzi schemes, these entail paying off initial investors with the profits from new investors. Eventually, these schemes collapse, and the most recent investors are left with nothing.
• Insider Trading: This occurs when stock trading is done by individuals who have knowledge that is not publicly available.
• Wage Theft: This can occur when employers fail to pay the minimum wage, fail to allow their employees regulated breaks, or fail to pay overtime. It also occurs when employers misclassify their workers as exempt from these benefits despite the workers having the duties of employees.
• Money Laundering: Money laundering happens when finances obtained illegally are funneled through a legitimate business, disguising the illicit profits as actual profits.
• Tax Evasion: When an individual or business underpays or fails to pay their taxes and purposefully avoids collection actions, this may be considered tax evasion.
• Bribery: Bribery occurs when someone offers money to another in return for favors, especially from someone in a position of high authority.
• Embezzlement: Embezzlement occurs when funds are misused, typically when company funds are used by employees or employers for personal means.
• Extortion: Extortion is the use of threats, force, or pressure to gain money, especially by those in a position of power.

The penalties for these crimes can vary based on the amount of money stolen or gained, whether the crime crossed state jurisdictions, and other factors. A skilled criminal attorney is crucial to help defend against these charges and penalties.

Potential White Collar Criminal Defenses

When you work with a criminal defense attorney, they can take the time to understand your unique situation so they can determine what defense is most appropriate. Many criminal defenses are focused on the lack of criminal intent behind the activity, which is often a necessity for a white collar conviction. Other criminal defenses may focus on violations of your rights, such as unlawful searches and seizures, or entrapment.

White Collar Crime Lawyer FAQs

Q: What Is a White Collar Crime in New York City?

A: A white collar crime in New York City is a type of financially motivated crime, typically involving fraud, theft, and other non-violent offenses. These crimes are most often committed by corporations and/or their employees and executives. Employees and officials of governmental agencies have also been known to partake in white collar crime. White collar crimes include criminal acts like:

• Identity theft
• Embezzlement
• Extortion
• Bribery
• Forgery
• Credit card fraud
• Money laundering
• Wage theft

Although these crimes may be confined to the city and state where they take place, their nature means that they frequently exist across state lines, which makes the jurisdiction federal.

Q: What Is a White Collar Defense Attorney?

A: A white collar defense attorney is a type of criminal defense attorney who represents those accused of white collar offenses. A white collar criminal defense attorney investigates the charges, gathers relevant information, and creates a defense for their client against the charges. They have years of experience in both criminal defense and white collar crimes. They also have the necessary resources, like access to financial professionals. These crimes are frequently complex and require a significant amount of legal skill to handle.

Q: What Is the Most Commonly Committed White Collar Crime?

A: The most commonly committed white collar crimes are fraud offenses, according to this report by the FBI based on information from 1997-1999. Out of five million white collar crime incidents, approximately 95,500 of them were various types of fraud. There were 61,230 incidents of these fraud offenses under the category of false pretenses, swindling, and confidence games. There were 23,308 offenses under ATM and credit card fraud. Impersonation, wire fraud, and welfare fraud were also in this category.

Counterfeiting and forgery were the next most commonly committed white collar crime, with 91,697 offenses listed.

Q: Why Is White Collar Crime Hard to Prosecute?

A: White collar crime is hard to prosecute for many reasons, including the:

• Ability of offenders to cover their criminal activity
• Complexity of the connections and transactions between the individuals and organizations that commit these crimes
• Insufficient resources to investigate and prove the crimes

Depending on the type of white collar crime, the prosecution may be required to prove the intent to defraud a person, and this can be difficult to do.

Obtain the Effective Criminal Defense You Need in Manhattan

If you have been arrested or charged with a white collar crime or are being investigated, it is important that you find effective legal counsel. At The Vitaliano Law Firm, we can fight for your rights and defend you against these charges. We have the resources needed to combat state prosecutors, along with the skill to find the right defense for your situation. Contact our firm today.