What are Some of the Most Common Federal White-Collar Crimes?

White collar crimes cover a broad spectrum of nonviolent illegal activity motivated by financial gain. They are called “white collar” crimes because the alleged offenders are typically educated people who are employed at higher-level positions in business or government. With today’s technology, many such crimes are committed using computers, coding and related means to gain access to confidential financial information.

White collar offenses are often prosecuted under federal law. The FBI may work in conjunction with New Jersey law enforcement and other federal agencies like the IRS, SEC or the Postal Inspection Service to conduct an extensive investigation before an arrest is made. Some of the most common federal white collar crimes are as follows:

• Corporate crimes — Among the types of corporate crimes prosecuted are deceptive accounting schemes, fraudulent stock trades, insider trading, kickbacks, tax evasion, self-dealing and obstruction of justice.
• Health care fraud — The federal Medicare and Medicaid programs lose hundreds of millions of dollars a year due to fraud committed by health care providers. Common illegal acts include billing for services a patient never received, ordering unnecessary tests, billing for unnecessary services and taking kickbacks.
• Money laundering — This crime consists of concealing the source of illegally obtained money by transferring it through legitimate banks or other businesses, so that it looks like the money came from a legitimate source. Authorities often try to tie money laundering to other serious crimes, such as human trafficking, public corruption or supporting terrorism.
• Identity theft — This is stealing someone else’s personal information and using it for financial gain, such as opening credit card accounts in someone else’s name or selling personal information illegally.
• Embezzlement — This is the taking of money from someone else when you occupy a position of trust. For example, an account manager skims funds from the company or an investment fund manager uses client funds for his or her own gain.
• Other types of fraud — Federal authorities have jurisdiction over prosecutions for mortgage fraud, securities fraud, bank fraud, wire fraud and mail fraud.

White collar crimes can carry heavy penalties, including mandatory restitution of money to victims. If you believe that you are under federal investigation for these or any other crimes, an experienced white collar criminal defense lawyer can represent you as the investigation unfolds and defend you if and when you are charged.

At the Law Offices of David Jay Glassman, our founding attorney has more than 40 years of criminal law experience. Our firm regularly handles federal white collar crimes and is adept at building strategic defenses. We are not intimidated by the FBI or federal prosecutors. Call 866-221-1270 or contact us online for a confidential consultation. We have offices in Marlton, New Brunswick, Newark and Hackensack for your convenience.