New Jersey Criminal Lawyers Blog
Earlier this month, the American Bar Association held its 40th National Institute on White Collar Crime. This is the nation’s leading event for professionals in the enforcement and defense of white collar crimes. Among the highlights of this year’s event were discussions on healthcare fraud, digital currency-related crimes, and environmental crimes. But what exactly is white collar crime?
White collar crime is defined as financially motivated, non-violent crimes committed to gain an advantage or to avoid the loss of money or property. Common perpetrators include individuals entrusted with overseeing the funds of a business or organization.
The list of offenses that constitute white collar crime ranges from writing bad checks to committing cybercrimes, such as hacking or phishing schemes.
In New Jersey, this classification of criminal activity encompasses a broad range of offenses including embezzlement, fraud, and money laundering. Some of the most common types of white collar crime are:
- fraud (e.g., check fraud, credit card fraud, embezzlement)
- healthcare fraud (e.g., the misrepresentation of injuries, creating false medical records)
- tax fraud, (e.g., under reporting taxes, claiming false deductions)
- mortgage fraud (e.g., misstating information to obtain a mortgage)
- insurance fraud (e.g., filing false claims)
- counterfeiting (e.g., creating or using fake currency or documents)
White collar crimes typically involve breach of trust, concealment, and deceit, and carry permanent consequences for victims, including severe financial losses for individuals and businesses, as well as damaged integrity and reputation of institutions. Penalties for those convicted of committing a white collar crime depend on the severity of the offense and can result in significant prison sentences.
If you are investigated in connection with a white collar crime, it is important to seek the representation of a criminal defense attorney. An experienced criminal defense attorney can assess the specific circumstances of your case, applicable defenses, and evaluate your best strategy to defend the case.