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White Collar Crimes

Federal White Collar Crimes Defense Attorney

We Can Protect Your legal Rights & Your Future

White collar crimes tend to be committed by people of respectable and high social status in the course of their occupations. There are a variety of nonviolent crimes which are considered to be white collar crimes, and the common denominator is that they take place in commercial situations with the purpose of achieving financial gain.

White collar crimes cost the United States more than $300 billion every year, according to the FBI, and people found to be committing these crimes will be harshly prosecuted, especially if the white collar crime violated a federal law.

White collar crimes are deliberate acts motivated by profit and tend to be made up of complex, sophisticated, and technical actions. Most white collar crimes in Los Angeles occur over a longer period of time and involve manipulation that is disguised as legitimate behavior. White collar crimes include such criminal activities as follows:

Bribery

Bribery is a white collar crime defined as the offer or acceptance of anything of value in exchange for influence on a government or public employee. Bribes can take various forms including gifts or payments of money and they are usually in exchange for favorable treatments. Generally both the person offering the bribe and the person accepting the bribe can be charged with bribery.

18 U.S.C. § 201 provides punishment for whoever directly or indirectly offers anything of value to any public official, or them something with the specific intent to influence that them to act in any particular way.

18 U.S. Code § 220 Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act prohibits accepting or paying referral kickbacks. 18 U.S.C. 208 defines the crime of acts affecting a personal financial interest.

If convicted of bribery you may be facing large fines of up to three times the monetary equivalent of the thing of value or sentenced to up to 15 years in federal prison. In addition, you might be disqualified from holding any United States government position.

In other words, bribery is an unlawful act where you use money or goods to influence the behavior of someone else. Usually, it is commonly found in use in a political or company environment.

There have been cases where the individual attempting to bribe another person will offer money or material goods for their vote or influence to ensure an outcome favorable to their position. The individual who agrees to accept the bribe will usually behave in a manner that is not consistent with their usual manner. The individual who accepts the bribe and the individual who offered the bribe could both be criminally charged at a state or federal level of this white collar crime offense.

If you have already been arrested or facing an investigation involved bribery, contacting a seasoned bribery defense attorney is a very important matter. This is a serious federal criminal offense that you should take seriously. This type of crime is not usually investigated not by local police, but by federal authorities. If you are facing allegations of bribery, you will be subjected to a lengthy and thorough investigation by a government agency and federal law enforcement.

Consumer Fraud

Consumer fraud laws make it a crime to conduct unfair or deceptive trade practices in consumer transactions. Generally these laws apply to almost all consumer transactions. The intent to deceive is not a requirement to be convicted of consumer fraud.

Consumer Fraud includes a large range of improper practices including any part of the advertising, telemarketing, selling, and provision of services and/or goods. It may be categorized as any of the following: credit card fraud, insurance fraud, credit fraud, healthcare fraud, health insurance fraud, or business fraud. If convicted of consumer fraud you may be facing large fines and/or imprisonment.

Consumer fraud is a common form of white collar crime. It can be defined as the intentional deception of an individual or group of people for their own personal gain. Also, intentionally withholding information or misleading a person on purpose can be considered fraud.

These type of federal criminal charges can be filed against anyone who are considered to be involved in scams. This can include auction fraud, identity theft, ponzi or pyramid schemes, internet scams, where is can be shown that a consumer has been given false information in order to achieve financial gain.

No matter what form of consumer fraud criminal charges you are facing, it is critical that you retain the legal counsel of an aggressive and dedicated attorney from Eisner Gorin LLP.  It is possible that you have been under federal investigation for a long time. You may not have even known there was an investigation, but it is possible that years worth of evidence has been obtained against you.

Corporate Fraud

Corporate fraud, also known as “securities fraud,” is committed when a corporate officer or director makes a material misrepresentation or distortion related to stock information (usually pertaining to the value of the stock) or an officer or director unlawfully discloses confidential information related to a stock, and then an individual or entity acts upon the unlawful disclosure of certain confidential stock information.

15 U.S.C. Chapters 2A-2D govern with regards to the appropriate law and punishment for securities fraud. If convicted of corporate fraud you may be facing large fines and/or imprisonment.

Corporate fraud is similar to other forms of white collar crimes because the objective is to accomplish a desired result through deception, trickery, and concealment. This type of fraud is a financial crime and has been statutorily regulated for decades.

In order to obtain a conviction for corporate fraud, a federal prosecutor must show evidence that you had intent to deceive, manipulate, or defraud. However, they do not have to prove that you intended to cause harm to the victim of the fraud.

In many cases, the prosecuting attorney will secure a federal indictment from a Federal Grand Jury and charge you not just with corporate fraud, but will also criminally charge with wire fraud, mail fraud, money laundering, RICO crime, and even federal conspiracy.

If you find yourself in a situation where you are facing these federal criminal issues, give Eisner Gorin LLP a call. We have extensive experience dealing with federal agents, the courts and with federal prosecutors specifically involving fraud crimes.

Do not put your future in the hands of a less qualified attorney. These are serious accusations that carry harsh punishment. Over the years, our lawyers have successfully represented many clients charged with fraud crimes in Los Angeles County and any U.S. District Court in California.

Counterfeiting

Counterfeiting is defined, along the same lines as forgery, as the crime of making a fake document. Some of the documents that can be the object of counterfeit include contracts, identification cards, money, and legal certificates. 18 U.S.C. § 471 provides punishment for whoever, with intent to defraud, falsely makes, forges counterfeits, or alters any obligation or other security of the United States.

Furthermore, sections 472 and 473 provides similar punishment for those who utter or deal in forged or counterfeit obligations or other security of the United States. If convicted of counterfeiting you may be facing large fines and/or imprisonment of up to twenty years.

Counterfeiting is usually related with legal tender, but is also related to the crime of creating a replica of a product with the intent to pass it off as genuine. Counterfeiting can be related to products such as designer clothing, watches and legal documents. No matter what type of counterfeiting criminal charges you may be facing, you will need to seek the legal services of a counterfeiting defense lawyer right away.

We are experienced white collar crimes defense lawyer who have decades of combined experience in defending clients in state and federal courts. We serve clients in all U.S. District Courts in Los Angeles County and throughout the state of California.

Criminal cases in a federal court can be a difficult challenge to a defense lawyer because federal agencies, such as the FBI, and federal prosecutors are usually the most highly-trained and experienced.

They also normally have virtually unlimited resources to pursue a conviction. Also, the federal court process is much different than the state criminal process because the defendant will usually face more severe penalties if they are convicted. Therefore, it is in your best interest to retain a federal counterfeiting defense lawyer who is specifically trained to defend clients in a federal setting.

Extortion

Extortion, sometimes referred to as “blackmail,” is defined as the gaining of property or money by almost any kind of force, including threats of violence, harm to reputation, or unfavorable government action. Extortion is usually viewed as a kind of theft although the threat in question does not generally pose any imminent physical danger to the victim.

18 U.S.C. § 873 provides punishment for anyone who by threats of informing, or not informing against a violation of United States law, issues a demand or actually receives money or something of value.

In addition, 18 U.S.C. 880 provides penalties for anyone who is found responsible for concealing the proceeds of the act of extortion. If convicted of extortion or blackmail you may be facing large fines and/or imprisonment of up to three years.

Under the Hobbs Act, extortion can be prosecuted as a federal crime where it involves demands made by individuals and government employees using a telephone, U.S. mail, internet, or any other form of interstate commerce. If you are convicted in federal court, you could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in a federal prison.

If you or a member of your family are facing accusations of threatening to obtain money or property from another person, they could be facing state or federal extortion criminal charges. This is a serious white collar offense that could lead to time in state prison.

Forgery

Forgery is defined as the crime of making a fake document, or changing an existing one, or signing a document without authorization. Some of the documents that can be the object of forgery include contracts, identification cards, and legal certificates.

18 U.S.C. § 471 defines the legal penalties as anyone who, with a specific intent to commit fraud, fraudulently makes, forges, counterfeits, or alters any security of the United States. In addition, sections 472 and 473 lays out similar penalties for anyone who utters or deals in forged obligations. If convicted of forgery you may be facing large fines and/or imprisonment of up to twenty years.

The harsh federal penalties from a conviction can alter your life forever. You may never be able to secure employment in certain positions within a company. Have you have been accused of forgery or other type of white collar crime anywhere in California? You need an experienced lawyer on your side to protect your rights. You need to contact our law firm as soon as you become aware you are facing these serious federal criminal charges.

Insider Trading

Insider trading occurs when a person with inside knowledge about a company's dealings uses that information to trade stocks. It is defined as the buying or selling of a security that breaches a duty of trust and confidence knowing the material was not public information about the security.

Individuals who may have access to inside information include brokers, stock analysts, investment bankers, and company employees. Federal law makes it a crime for anyone with inside information to buy or sell stocks based on their unique perspective or special knowledge.

15 U.S.C. § 78a codified the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 which established the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and formed the basis of regulating the American financial market. The SEC enforces the securities laws that prohibit insider trading. If convicted of insider trading you may be facing large fines and/or imprisonment.

In simple terms, insider trading is buying or selling stocks by a person who has access to information that is not available to the public. It can be legal for stock trading to take place by insiders as long as the trading does not take advantage of non-public information. Insider trading relates to the illegal practice where an individual makes trades using information that is private.

The main reason that it is illegal is that it raises the cost of capital for the issuers of securities and it can decrease economic growth. The laws in the United States has serious measures to enforce these laws. If you have been charged with this type of federal white collar crime, you need to retain a criminal defense attorney immediately.

Federal insider trading criminal charges are a very serious matter to your freedom and reputation. This type of federal crimes usually results in severe consequences if you are convicted.

Tax Evasion

Tax evasion laws make it a federal crime to purposefully avoid the payment of federal taxes, whether those taxes are a personal obligation or that of a business entity. 26 U.S.C. § 7201 states that anyone who willfully attempts to evade any tax imposed under this statute, or payment, will be guilty of a felony federal offense.

Anyone, or business that pays taxes can become a target of the IRS. Many times a person will learn that they are under investigation before they are charged. Regardless of what stage your case is at, you should hire an experienced federal tax fraud attorney immediately.

A tax evasion conviction can result in penalties such as fines up to $100,000 ($500,000 in the case of a corporation) and/or incarceration for up to five years, together with the costs of prosecution.

The IRS may can pursue you for tax evasion for a many reasons. The most common are failure to file tax returns in a timely manner and accusations that you provided false information about your income. Deadlines for filing your taxes are strict. Also, you are expected to provide information that is absolutely accurate. No source of income is allowed to can be withheld from your tax return.

These issues are made complex due to the fact you may not have been the one actually in charge of preparing your taxes. Maybe you had an assistant or your accountant handle the matter for you. However, you are still responsible in the end. Tax evasion charges will be made against you regardless of whoever prepared your tax return.

In order to provide a strong legal defense against tax evasion charges, a thorough understanding of the tax codes is required. We know the tax laws and know our way around the tax codes. We also know how to challenge the IRS and know how to overcome complicated challenges to present a strong legal case dedicated to achieving positive results for you.

Other Forms of White Collar Crimes We Defend

Criminal Lawyer Defending White Collar Charges

Almost all white collar crimes are federal crimes, meaning that they are handled by the federal government. The government has the power to sanction both individuals and corporations for these offenses, and will be very thorough when prosecuting these types of crimes.

Lengthy, meticulous investigations typically precede charges for white collar crimes, making it especially important to have representation from a federal criminal attorney. Penalties for white collar crimes include fines, home detention, community confinement, paying the cost of prosecution, forfeitures, restitution, supervised release, and imprisonment.

The earlier you have a lawyer representing you, the better the chance you will have of overcoming your charges. The moment you suspect you are under investigation is the perfect time to call a Los Angeles white collar crime attorney from our firm. Contact our law firm at 877-781-1570.

Arrested and charged with a white collar crime? Call us now!

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