White Collar Crimes

While most people tend to think of white collar crime offenders as "white collar" employees such as government officials, business people, accountants, stockbrokers, attorneys, securities officers, and other professionals, a white collar crime can be committed by anyone.

Common White Collar Crimes Include:

• Credit Card Fraud — illegally using a credit card to make a purchase.
• Antitrust Violations — violating laws designed to legislate trade practices that exist to ensure fairness in a market.
• Banking Fraud — intentionally defrauding a bank of money.
• Securities Fraud — illegally inflating a stock's price so that buyers can profit.
• Telemarketing Fraud — posing as a telemarketer to acquire funds and using the money for purposes other than what was originally stated.
• Computer Hacking — hacking into a computer system to steal data, send viruses, and engage in other illegal uses of a computer.
• Embezzlement — illegally appropriating money or property that belongs to someone else.
• Blackmail — demanding money while threatening to do harm or reveal secrets unless payment is made.
• Counterfeiting — illegally copying an item and passing it off as an original.
• Kickbacks — paying a seller back a portion of what they paid for an item.
• Bribery — offering services, goods, money, information, or another commodity of value with the purpose of illegally influencing another person. The person who accepts the offer can also be charged with bribery.
• Cell Phone Fraud — illegally using or tampering with a cell phone or a cellular service.
• Extortion — illegally obtaining money or property through the use of threats.
• Forgery — intentionally circulating a worthless check, fake money, or other type of counterfeit fund and passing it off as having value.
• Insider Trading — using confidential or insider information to trade shares owned by public companies.
• Investment Fraud — scamming another person into making a financial investment with the promise that they will make a profit.
• Mail Fraud — fraudulent handling or use of mail.
• Insurance Fraud — illegally obtaining money from an insurance company via an act of deception.
• Health Care Fraud — performing a health care service without a license and getting paid for the service.
• Money Laundering — investing or transferring funds from an illegal investment scheme and making its source untraceable.
• RICO/Racketeering — operating an illegal business for profit.
• Tax Evasion — committing fraud when paying or filing taxes.
• Identity Theft — illegally impersonating someone else's identity by using that person's credit card, driver's license, social security number, or another form of identification.
• Public Corruption — abuse of power or trust by a government official.
• Economic Espionage — stealing trade secrets from a company, person, or industry.

Penalties for a white collar crime conviction can include criminal forfeiture, payment of fines, supervised release, restitution, and imprisonment.

A white collar offense can also lead to civil lawsuits filed by the government or the persons who were allegedly victimized by the crime. Unlike in a criminal case, the accused in a civil lawsuit does not have the right to remain silent, and they may be obligated to testify at their own trial. An attorney will not be appointed for them if they cannot afford one on their own.

If you are arrested for committing a white collar crime, it is important that you retain an experienced criminal defense attorney who specializes in handling white collar crime cases.

Attorney Ralph Behr is 1 of only 14 attorneys in Broward County who is board certified as an arbitrator for the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). FINRA regulates and enforces all securities laws that affect Stock Brokerage firms, the NY Stock Exchange, dealers, and all areas of securities law. Attorney Ralph Behr has years of experience in successfully defending white collar cases in the state of Florida. He is also a board certified criminal trial attorney who has spent over 30 years aggressively defending thousands of clients in all areas of criminal law.

If you are a broker, a financial advisor, or are connected with the securities industry in any other way and have been charged with a white collar crime, contact Mr. Behr today for a free consultation.

If you have been arrested for committing any kind of white collar crime in Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Broward County, St. Petersburg, Miami Dade County, Palm Beach, Vero Beach, Tampa, Fort Meyers, West Palm Beach, or Jacksonville, Florida, call 1-800-761-3446 to speak with Ralph.

The EXPERIENCE and KNOWLEDGE of your criminal defense attorney can make the difference between your FREEDOM and going to PRISON.