Can I Be Charged with a White-Collar Crime Even if I Didn’t Directly Commit the Act?

While white collar crimes aren’t violent in nature, they are still serious crimes that the State of Pennsylvania takes very seriously. To make things even more challenging, white-collar crimes are often charged at the federal level because these acts of fraud are often perpetrated online. If you’re facing a criminal charge that’s classified as white collar, you need the professional legal counsel of an experienced Pennsylvania white collar crime attorney backing you up.

Common Forms of White-Collar Crimes

The FBI reports on the basic categories of white collar crimes, which include:

• Healthcare fraud
• Corporate fraud, which includes falsification of financial information and self-dealing by corporate insiders
• Money laundering
• Securities and commodities fraud, which often relate to fraudulent investment schemes
• Mortgage and financial institution fraud
• Theft or piracy of intellectual property

The FBI makes it very clear that, although white collar crimes aren’t violent crimes, they – nevertheless – lead to immense financial loss.

The two most common white collar crimes brought at the state level in Pennsylvania are fraud and embezzlement, which is a form of fraud.

You Can Be Charged with a White-Collar Crime if the State Has Enough Evidence to Proceed

If the state – or the federal government – has enough evidence to file any criminal charge against you, you can be charged, and this includes white collar crimes. The fact that you didn’t directly commit the act can mean many things, but if the prosecution has the evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you were involved in a white-collar crime, you can not only be charged but could also be convicted.

Intent Is Required

One element that must be present for a white-collar charge to hold in the State of Pennsylvania is criminal intent. For example, making an honest mistake – such as in bookkeeping for a company or one’s own finances – could lead to a serious tax error. Without intent to defraud the state of taxes owed, however, a criminal fraud charge may not stick.

Further, if you were pressured or coerced into involvement in a white-collar crime and if that is what accounts for you not directly committing the crime, it could be a valid defense. The bottom line is that if you’re facing a white-collar charge, you need focused legal counsel on your side.

Discuss Your Case with an Experienced Pennsylvania White Collar Crime Attorney Today

Steven Grosh at the Law Office of Stephen W. Grosh is a formidable Pennsylvania white collar crime attorney who is well-versed in the legal intricacies of this complex area of the law and is committed to building your strongest defense – in pursuit of a favorable case resolution. Your case is important to your future, so please reach out and contact us online or call 717-435-8830 for more information about what we can do to help you today.