A white collar crime accusation can devastate a person's reputation, even before the accused has a chance to tell their side of the story. People who are charged with these crimes can face serious consequences including fines, restitution and possible incarceration if convicted.
The phrase "white collar crime" covers a wide range of conduct. It generally refers to nonviolent theft crimes that involve some element of deception. Crimes like embezzlement, insurance fraud, tax fraud and forgery are considered white collar crimes. White collar crime accusations often arise in the workplace and involve individuals whose jobs involve handling money.
Just as in any criminal case, a person accused of a white collar crime is not required to prove his or her innocence; it is the prosecution that must prove every element of the accusation beyond a reasonable doubt. One of the most important elements in any white collar crime case is intent. In many cases the defendant is guilty of no more than a good faith mistake.
Those facing white collar crime charges need an aggressive defense. At the Law Offices of Jed Silverman we understand how an individual accused of fraudulent activity can feel intimidated by overzealous police and prosecutors. We conduct our own investigation of the allegations as soon as possible after the accusations are made, and look for flaws and inconsistencies in the prosecution's case. At trial, we use these inconsistencies to cast doubt on the prosecution's case. Even if the evidence of guilt is strong, in many cases it is possible to negotiate a significant reduction of the charges, especially if the accused individual has no prior criminal record.