If you are accused of a crime, and need an experienced white collar crimes attorney in St. Petersburg, Fl, Will Hanlon has advocated for many people in your same position.
White-collar crime doesn’t require guns, knives, or even fists, and the white collar criminal won’t be wearing a ski mask—a three piece suit is more likely attire. White collar crime is nonviolent, usually committed by people of reasonably high socio-economic status, and motivated by greed.
It usually occurs in business, financial, and government settings, and includes embezzlement, forgery, corporate crimes, fraud, bribery, identity theft, industrial espionage, internet crimes, theft of intellectual property, money laundering, Ponzi schemes, and securities violations.
Although it does not leave broken bodies in its wake, white collar crime can leave a trail of broken lives of those it has ruined financially. These crimes take extensive investigation due to their complexion, and being charged with this crime can have devastating effects. However, a St. Petersburg white collar crimes lawyer has great insight on these matters and can assist you during a legal battle.
The Cost Of White Collar CrimeAnnual losses from the preceding white-collar crimes are estimated at $426 billion to $1.7 trillion according to an article published by the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS).
White collar crime is often well-planned, designed and carried out by highly educated professionals, and difficult to detect. It can also be difficult to determine exactly who is responsible for it. Complex and confusing financial transactions and accounting manipulations may keep it under cover for years (remember the Enron scandal?). It is often so complex as to require sophisticated auditors and forensic accountants to uncover it and trace it to its source, and it may be extremely difficult to separate the innocent from the guilty. An employee of a company that is defrauding or engaging in illegal practices may be inadvertently contributing to the crime, without even realizing it.
Consequences Of A White Collar Crime ConvictionIf you are convicted of a white collar crime, you face a potential prison sentence, probation, fines, payment of restitution, and community service. You risk losing lose your reputation, your job, your future employment prospects, and your professional license. You may have worked very hard for many years to achieve your position, only to find yourself at risk of losing it all.
If you have been accused of a white collar crime, you may be seeing everything you’ve worked for disappear before your eyes. But there is help available. Don’t assume that all is lost, because with the expert representation of a highly skilled St. Petersburg white collar crimes lawyer, you may be able to beat the charges and pick up the pieces of your life.
White Collar Legal Advocacy In The St. Petersburg AreaIn the St. Petersburg area, if you have been questioned about any type of impropriety related to your employment or financial activities, you should immediately call the offices Hanlon Law. Will has been successfully representing Floridians accused of white collar and other crimes for more than 20 years, and he knows his business. He not only has decades of criminal defense experience, he has access to the professionals—particularly forensic accountants—who will be able to provide expert analysis and testimony in your defense. He is widely respected by judges, prosecutors, and clients whose freedom and livelihood he has saved through his passionate and aggressive advocacy. He will identify the best possible defense considering the circumstances surrounding the accusation and will work tirelessly to prepare and present your case in the best light, with an eye to dismissing the charges, dropping the charges, or acquitting you at trial. Will understands how much you have at stake, and will use every legal means to protect your constitutional rights and prevent the potential life-shattering consequences that a conviction may bring.
White collar cases generally require extensive investigation, so don’t wait to call the Hanlon Law Offices. Even if you’ve only been questioned and not arrested, you should have your attorney with you whenever you’re approached by law enforcement. So make that call now for the best shot at a favorable outcome.
White Collar Crime Defense LawyerSt. Petersburg has more than 100 neighborhoods and is home to many large companies. These span a variety of industries and include Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital, the Home Shopping Network, TransAmerica Life Insurance, Bayfront Medical, Bright House Networks, Fidelity National Information Services, St. Anthony's Hospital, and Raymond James. White collar crimes encompass a broad range of charges that are often related to corporations and other businesses, including cybercrime, fraud, bribery, money laundering, forgery, identity theft, insider trading, copyright infringement, and racketeering. Generally, they include any nonviolent economic or corporate crime. Many people charged with white collar crimes are intimidated by the criminal justice system, particularly if they have never been charged with any crime before. St. Petersburg white collar crime lawyer Will Hanlon takes the rights of the accused seriously and works diligently on their behalf.
Common Types of White Collar CrimesWhite collar crimes can be punished in many different ways, including jail or prison time, disgorgement, fines, restitution, probation, and community service. Often, people facing white collar criminal charges also face civil claims brought by those whom they have victimized. The elements of white collar crimes, like violent crimes and other offenses, must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. What must be proven, however, varies depending on the specific charge.
Fraud is a common white collar crime. There are many different types of fraud, including providing false statements to merchants when making a purchase, obtaining property through a fraudulent promise, making false entries in a corporation's books, fraudulently issuing stock, engaging in false advertising, invading a home or private business by a false impersonation, or violating the Florida Communications Fraud Act. A knowledgeable white collar crime attorney in St. Petersburg will be familiar with the various forms that this crime can take.
Under the Florida Communications Fraud Act, the Florida Legislature has prohibited defrauding schemes that use communications technology to solicit victims in order to overcome a victim's usual resistance to sales pressure by giving a personalized sales message. To secure a conviction for scheming to defraud by using communications technology under Florida Statute section 817.034, the prosecutor must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you engaged in an ongoing and systematic course of conduct with the intent of getting property or otherwise defrauding someone, and you used false or fraudulent representations, promises, misrepresentations, or pretenses of a future act to do so.
You can be punished per communication for a conviction. When the communications fraud involves less than $300, it is punished differently than when it involves $300 or more. The latter is a third-degree felony, for which you can face up to five years’ imprisonment, five years’ probation, and a maximum of $5,000 in fines.
Under Florida Statutes section 817.14, meanwhile, you can be convicted of making false entries on a corporation's books if the prosecution proves that you are an agent, clerk, servant, or officer of a corporation, and you made a false entry in the corporation's books with the intent to defraud. This charge also may be brought in situations involving deliberately inaccurate records involving the transfer of stock or stock certificates. This is also a third-degree felony, so consulting a St. Petersburg white collar crime attorney is an important step to take.
There are sentencing guidelines from which judges usually start when determining the sentence for a white collar crime. If you do not have a criminal record, you are more likely to be sentenced to probation or have your jail sentence suspended. However, each situation is different, and the court may look at the losses that you inflicted if you are convicted.
After a conviction, you may face a strong social stigma. It can be especially difficult for people who work with money to find employment after being charged or convicted of a white collar crime. Often, professional licensing depends on not having a history of deceit or dishonesty. You may face the possibility of deportation if you are convicted as a foreign national.
Consult a Skillful White Collar Crime Lawyer in the St. Petersburg AreaIf you have been charged with a white collar crime, such as public assistance fraud, you should consult us. Our founder, Will Hanlon, has been providing vigorous representation since 1994. You can call Hanlon Law at 727.289.0222 or complete the form on our website.