White collar crimes are acts people typically commit for financial gain and don’t include physical harm to other people. Despite this, white collar crime convictions often yield harsh punishments, including jail or prison time and steep fines. These penalties can upend the lives of real estate professionals, businesspeople, and others.
If you’re charged with a white-collar crime, the first step to fighting back is to contact Simmrin Law Group. Our Tustin white collar crimes attorneys have years of experience defending against charges of fraud and embezzlement. Free case evaluations are available today.
What Types of White Collar Crimes Are There?
The term white collar crime is now synonymous with a wide range of fraudulent acts committed by professionals working in the government and business sectors. They encompass various criminal acts to avoid losing or obtain property, services, money, or to acquire a business or personal advantage.
If you’re facing allegations of a white collar crime, it may include:
Fraud Charges
California has several severe fraud charges on its books that are classified as white collar crimes. According to California law, anytime an individual knowingly deceives a person or an organization, it’s considered fraud.
Tustin fraud charges come in various forms, and the laws relating to each can be challenging to understand. The court system prosecutes crimes including:
- Healthcare fraud: Healthcare fraud is usually related to insurance, and if you were charged, you might have been accused of taking a kickback, billing for unnecessary equipment, or billing for services you haven’t rendered. Max penalties you could be up against include five years in prison and up to $50,000 in fines.
- Mortgage fraud: If you were charged with mortgage fraud, you might be facing accusations of making false appraisals, falsifying mortgage or loan documents, or making untrue loan modification promises. A conviction can lead to up to three years in prison and restitution fines of $10,000.
- Government program fraud: The government offers specific programs like Medi-Cal or unemployment insurance to assist American citizens that need extra support. If you are found guilty of a government program fraud, you might end up facing six months to five years in jail or prison and a fine ranging from $1,000 to $150,000.
- Auto insurance fraud: Staging an accident, damaging a vehicle on purpose, falsely reporting a vehicle as stolen, submitting false claims, or trying to bribe insurers are examples of auto insurance fraud charges you may be facing. Penalties include probation to five years in prison, plus fines of up to $50,000.
- Workers’ compensation fraud: If you were charged with workers’ compensation fraud, you may be facing prosecution for faking injuries on the job, billing a medical provider for services you didn’t receive, or claiming you are unable to do various job-related activities that you could do. If convicted of workers’ comp fraud, you can face up to five years in prison and a $150,000 fine (or twice the amount of the fraud).
Charges Relating to Embezzlement
Many kinds of people are accused of embezzlement, from public officers and contractors to caregivers and tenants. If you were arrested for this white-collar crime, you could only be convicted if the prosecution proves:
- Someone entrusted you with money or property
- You were required to maintain it
- You transferred it intending to benefit from it
- You prevented or attempted to stop the rightful owner from utilizing it
The two types of embezzlement are petty theft and grand theft:
- Petty theft: If you were charged with stealing no more than $950, you would likely face petty theft charges, which can carry up to six months in jail and a fine of $1000. If the amount you were charged with taking is $50 or less, your lawyer may be able to have your charge reduced to an infraction and have the restitution fine dropped to $250.
- Grand theft: Grand theft is a more serious charge and involves being accused of taking more than $950 (including separate acts over 12 months that add up to $950). For a grand theft conviction, you can be put in jail for three years and have to pay $10,000.
For a free legal consultation with a white collar crimes lawyer serving Tustin, call (310) 896-2723
How Much Will a Tustin White Collar Crimes Lawyer Cost Me?
Most defense lawyers hired to defend against white collar crimes charge by the hour. This means you will be charged a particular amount for each hour he or she works on your case.
At month’s end, you will receive a client invoice that breaks down the numbers, including hours worked, expense fees, and a description of the work done.
If you have minor offenses or your defense strategy is relatively straightforward, your legal fees will be less than if it is complex and necessitates a more considerable time commitment. Therefore, your legal fees will be impacted by:
- Your lawyer’s expertise in a particular legal domain
- Your legal team’s education and training
- The law firm location
- Case complexity
- The amount of time your lawyer works on your case
- How much pre-trial investigative work needs to be done
- The number of court appearances that need to be made
- Any motions that need to be filed
- The likelihood of a plea agreement
- The preliminary hearing and possible trial
You should be aware that even if it seems like your case is settling, there is a chance that it may not happen; therefore, your attorney needs to prepare every case like it’s going to trial, even if it doesn’t.
This means your Tustin white collar crimes attorney may need to charge for investigations and other court-related expenses. Because if you do go to trial, your case needs to be ready to move forward on short notice.
Tustin White Collar Crimes Lawyer Near Me (310) 896-2723
Get a Tustin White Collar Crime Lawyer on Your Side Today
California is notoriously tough on white collar crimes, which is why you need a law firm skilled at building a powerful defense for your situation. At Simmrin Law Group, our white collar crimes lawyers in Tustin understand the seriousness of a fraud or embezzlement charge.
Perhaps you were entrapped by investigators, or you didn’t realize that the activity you were participating in was illegal. Whatever the circumstances, the faster you call us, the better equipped we’ll be to defend your case in court or negotiate with the prosecuting attorney. So, don’t wait; call Simmrin Law Group, or fill out our online contact form today!
Call or text (310) 896-2723 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form