What is a white collar crime?

A white collar crime is a criminal offense that takes place within a business, corporate, or political setting. The term covers a wide variety of criminal acts in Ohio, the most common being:

• Embezzlement: theft or misappropriation of funds placed in one’s trust
• Engaging in Corrupt Activity: conducting the affairs of one’s enterprise through a pattern of corrupt activities; examples include abuse of political power, soliciting or offering bribes, and police misconduct
• Extortion: exposing or threatening to expose damaging information about a person in order to obtain something of value from them or compel them to commit an unlawful act
• Forgery: forging the writing of another person without their authority
• Identity Fraud: using, obtaining, or possessing a person’s identifying information without consent in order to pretend to be that person
• Insurance Fraud: any act committed to obtain a fraudulent outcome from an insurance process
• Tax Evasion: employing illegal means to avoid paying taxes

A conviction for a white collar offense can have very real costs to your family, career, and reputation. Many corporate and political crimes can be charged as federal offenses, with penalties ranging from lengthy mandatory prison sentences, ruinous fines, and even criminal forfeiture of your personal property. Regardless of your circumstances, a criminal defense attorney who is well-versed in both state and federal white collar crimes can best protect you.

Whether you have been accused of embezzlement, fraud, tax evasion, or any other white collar crime in Cleveland, Marein & Bradley will work tirelessly to defend you at trial. Contact us for free advice from the best white collar defense attorneys in Northeast Ohio.