The Nature of the Offence Determines what is White Collar Crime

White collar crimes are typically non-violent, and revolve around someone stealing property or money.
“White collar crimes are perpetrated by the people you would least expect to be mixed up in criminal activities. They may be the banker, the friendly insurance agent or the hard-working real estate agent. Each one of these individuals have opportunities to commit white collar or financial crimes,” explained Thomas Grajek, a Polk County criminal defense attorney.
White collar crime was originally defined as being perpetrated by a respected individual with higher social status, during the course of their employment. In the 21^st century, this crime is not defined by the status of the perpetrator, but by the type of crime allegedly committed.
In reality, it is not solely about the definition of the crime either, but whether or not the accused has a good criminal defense lawyer. While smoking guns in white collar cases may be easier to detect, due to a paper trail or an electronic trail, it does not automatically mean the person whose computer was harboring the evidence, is the criminal. There are numerous potential defenses to fight charges, based on the nature of the specific circumstances of each case.
“White collar crimes include identity theft, forgery, money laundering, mail fraud, insurance fraud, tax fraud, racketeering, real estate/mortgage fraud, bad checks, credit card fraud, bank fraud, wire fraud and so on. These are all serious accusations that could come with long-term consequences,” Grajek explained. “When accused of a crime at this level, it’s imperative that you retain an attorney to have your options explained.”
For first-time alleged offenders, there may be an argument to be made for a reduced sentence, as the alleged offender does not have a record for the kind of behavior they are charged with. “In short, every case has a defense, just as every case is prosecuted. My job is to ensure your defense mitigates the outcome, by perhaps having the charges dismissed or reduced. We work in tandem to ensure you have the defense you need for your case,” Grajek added.