WHITE COLLAR CRIMES ATTORNEYS IN BOULDER, CO
White-Collar crimes are generally those involving fraud or deception, as opposed to violent crimes that generally involve the use of force. White-collars crimes include acts such as embezzling from an employer or other person; securities fraud; money laundering; identity theft; tax evasion; or computer-related crimes.
Fraud Offenses
Colorado has a number of crimes that are based on fraudulent conduct by a person, including forgery; fraud in obtaining property or services; fraudulent business practices; bribery; credit and debit card offenses; to name a few.
Forgery, fraud in obtaining property or services, and credit and debit card crimes are the most commonly prosecuted fraud offenses. These cases often involve issues of payment of restitution, which can obviously impact an individual’s life greatly. The penalties imposed are typically related to the amount of money allegedly stolen, the number of fraudulent transactions made, and the amount of planning and preparation that went into the scheme. Included in the fraud or theft category are crimes such as an employee taking money from a cash register or creating an elaborate scheme to take cash receipts paid to his or employer.
Computer Crimes/Identity Theft
Computer crimes include acts like accessing another person’s computer without authorization, causing damage to the computer, or causing interruption, or impairment of the use of a computer. It can also include accessing a computer to commit fraud or theft. The seriousness of the offense is often determined by the value of the loss incurred.
A person can be said to have committed identity theft if he or she uses someone else’s personal identifying information, financial identifying information, or financial device without permission in order to obtain something of value. It can also include using another person’s financial information to obtain cash, credit, property, services, or any other thing of value. These types of offenses are often complicated and can involve endless paperwork supporting the allegations.
Tax Evasion
When a person fails to pay proper taxes due then they can be charged with Tax Evasion. For example, if a person lives in Colorado but buys a large personal item – like a plane or boat – and indicates to the sales people that he lives in another state (possibly a state without a local sales tax) to avoid paying required Colorado Sales tax, that person can be charged with tax evasion.
The tax laws are complicated, complex and confusing. They sometimes are written so broadly that enforcing authorities can believe they cover a certain factual circumstance when possibly they really don’t. The government investigators who pursue these types of cases have one way of interpreting the laws. They may not be right, so it makes sense to hire a lawyer to defend oneself against these charges.
Often the government is looking for the tax to be paid, plus penalties and interest that can greatly increase the amount sought. Hiring an experienced lawyer can assist in reducing or eliminating some or all of these surcharges, and possibly beating the criminal charges altogether.
Embezzlement
Sometimes as an employee a person “borrows” or takes money that they are not due. Sometimes employees look like they are “stealing” money when really they are merely performing their financial task as the employer wanted – but possibly the employee is not as competent as they should have been.
Embezzlement cases often involve the loss of funds over a long period of time and through many transactions. Often several employees have access to the same information and accounts, and determining who, if any, took funds can be confusing and complicated. It takes an experienced lawyer to look at the evidence the government has and see if a case can be proven – the less provable the case, the more likely of getting it dismissed or reduced.
Embezzlement from an employer or governmental entity can often amount to much lost money and a huge difficulty for the employee. The amount of money taken or mis-appropriated and how soon it can be paid back can impact the outcome of a case.
The lawyers at Miller & Harrison, LLC have handled embezzlement cases involving large sums of money allegedly taken and know how to examine and defend these types of cases.
White-collar crimes can be extremely complex and require highly skilled attorneys, like the ones at Miller & Harrison, LLC, to analyze the information provided and develop a strong defense to obtain the most favorable outcome possible.