There are numerous different examples of white collar crimes that can put accused individuals at risk for facing significant penalties like jail time, fines, and other consequences.
Being accused of white collar crime in and of itself is an unfortunate situation that can generate confusion and a sense of overwhelm. This is why it is important to retain an experienced attorney as soon as possible.
A knowledgeable Florida criminal defense attorney can explain your rights to you immediately after you have been arrested and advise you against making some of the most common mistakes that criminals tend to make immediately after an arrest.
Protecting Your Rights After Being Accused of a Crime
Understanding your rights and responsibilities as an accused criminal is important. In situations where police officers or others have overstepped their bounds and have violated your constitutional rights you may be able to have your charges reduced or dismissed entirely.
Keeping track of the circumstances of your arrest and your interrogation at the police station are important so that you can present them to your Florida criminal defense attorney and get a clear overview of how this might affect your case. What follows are five of the most common examples of white collar crimes.
Financial Fraud
The first type of white collar crime is financial fraud. This related to any kind of fraudulent activity associated with check forgery, mortgage fraud, commercial loans, false applications, kiting checks, and counterfeiting negotiable instruments. You may be facing penalties like jail time and fines if you are arrested and convicted of these crimes.
Healthcare Fraud
Another common type of fraud is healthcare or medicare fraud. This usually relates to doctors or medical facilities who have billed for services that have not been performed or have been accused of accepting kickbacks, have billed for services performed by a less qualified individual or have ordered unnecessary equipment for patients.
Healthcare fraud applies to all individuals in the healthcare industry including ambulance services, hospitals, home healthcare, psychiatric hospitals, doctors, pharmacies, laboratories, chiropractors, and nursing homes.
Credit Card Fraud
Credit card fraud is an increasingly common criminal charge in the United States with the rise of stolen credit and debit card information and other personally identifying details. Credit card fraud involves using someone’s personal information to make unauthorized purchases.
Computer Fraud
Another common type of fraud that is classified as a white collar crime is known as computer fraud. This involves the taking of proprietary information, bank or credit card details through a computer. All of these situations can lead to fraud charges. If you suspect that you’re being investigated for this, get help now.
Theft and Embezzlement
The final type of common white collar crime charge has to do with theft allegations such as embezzlement or misappropriation of property. This involves situations where an individual has allegedly taken goods, money or services or when an employee has done this.
Blackmail may also be classified under this umbrella of fraud because it involves demanding money in exchange for not damaging property, not causing physical harm or even accusing someone of a crime or threatening to expose their secrets.
One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to try to handle this situation on your own. Police officers and detectives may try to convince you that you need to consult with them in order to cooperate, but you do have a legal right to an attorney and it’s well worth exercising that right.
It’s never easy to find yourself in this situation where you are accused of a crime, but only a lawyer can keep you fully informed about your rights and the recommended next steps. Your future could be on the line, so don’t wait to get the help you need.
All of these allegations are extremely serious and require the insight of an experienced white collar criminal defense attorney. One of the most common defenses for white collar criminal defense is entrapment in which government personnel have given the defendant the opportunity to commit criminal acts that otherwise that individual would not have committed.
Get in Touch with Miami Criminal Defense Attorney Today
Many of the other common defenses associated with white collar crime include situations such as duress, incapacity, intoxication or insanity. If you have recently been accused of any type of white collar crime in Florida, it is imperative that you get help from a knowledgeable attorney as soon as possible to protect yourself.
Learn, Top four common federal crimes: https://thehansenlawfirm.com/2016/10/10/top-four-common-federal-crimes/