White-collar crimes are non-violent offenses committed for monetary gain. They typically involve fraudulent conduct aimed at government entities, financial institutions, private or public businesses, charity organizations, bank customers, and regular consumers. When an individual is caught committing these types of acts, law enforcement will charge the liable person(s) with a specific white-collar crime. Although they may seem less serious, white-collar crime charges can carry stiff penalties, and these possible penalties include, significant fines, prison time, or both. You can and should hire an experienced lawyer who will work to determine the likelihood of conviction or success at trial, and if a finding of guilt is inevitable, help keep the consequence to a minimum. First, here's a look at some of these types of crimes:

Common Types of White-Collar Crimes

If you’re charged with a white-collar crime, you should educate yourself on the charges and what they entail. This includes understanding the laws related to the crime you’re accused of, as well as knowing the different types of white-collar crime that exist. Common white-collar crimes include:

• Mortgage fraud

• Issuance of worthless checks

• Theft

• Tax fraud

• Bribery

• Forgery and counterfeiting

• Insurance fraud

• Accounting fraud

• Computer-related crimes

• Scheme to defraud

• Financial abuse of an elderly person

• Healthcare fraud

• Misuse of public office

• Embezzlement

• Racketeering

To strengthen your defense, an experienced lawyer will ensure you’re educated about the crime with which you have been charged, as well as any related crimes. It’s possible, and sometimes happens that accused persons are charged with multiple crimes of a similar nature. For example, someone charged with embezzlement may also be charged with theft, etc.

Fighting False Accusations

Of course, being accused of a crime isn’t an indication of guilt; every day, people are falsely accused of committing crimes. In cases where an individual is falsely or mistakenly accused of a white-collar crime, defendants are known as incidental actors. Incidental actors are unwittingly a part of a fraudulent scheme, meaning they didn’t knowingly participate in or create this scheme. False accusations usually result from fraudulent documents that bear the accused’s signature. Some people are also falsely accused by business partners (ex or current), employers, employees, co-workers, or even friends. These types of allegations, however, can be fought and disproved with the help of an experienced fraud lawyer. Edmonton men and women accused of white-collar crimes turn to the defence team at Haryett and Company.

Understanding Aggravated White-Collar Crimes

There are a number of circumstances which can aggravate the sentence on a fraud charge, including the relationship between the parties, the number of parties affected, the age of the affected parties, and whether the affected parties come from a disadvantaged or vulnerable group within society. Repeated fraudulent conduct, duration of the fraudulent conduct, and sophistication of the fraudulent conduct can also lead to an aggravated or higher sentence. If you’re charged with an aggravated white-collar crime, you could face exorbitant fines and a strong possibility of prison time. A normal charge could quickly become an aggravated one, especially if you don't have the help of an experienced white-collar crime lawyer. Not only can a proven lawyer prevent this unfortunate circumstance, he/she can seek to reduce the number of charges you are facing and help you receive the lowest sentence in the circumstances.

If you have been charged with a white-collar crime, contact the legal team at Haryett and Company now. We bring years of experience and a proven track record to provide you with the quality, personalized defence you require.