Defending Against White Collar Criminal Charges in Virginia

Get the Help You Need From Our Alexandria White Collar Defense Attorney

A white collar crime is typically considered any non-violent crime that is motivated by financial gain. The name comes from the expected criminal, meaning white collar crimes are usually committed by white collar workers like accountants, bankers, government employees, business owners, doctors and lawyers. Anything from inflating or deflating your income on your personal taxes, to pulling off a fraudulent financial scheme can be considered a white collar crime. Even in seemingly small personal cases, these crimes can have disastrous consequences for your career and your personal life.

White collar crimes typically wind up in a federal jurisdiction, as financial crimes have a tendency to cross state lines. Because most offenses involve allegations of fraud and misleading of victims, the accused may face a lengthy, complicated court process. Depending on how much money is involved in a particular case, a convicted person could be fined heavily and sentenced to an extended jail term. The Federal and State systems use similar sentencing guidelines for white collar crime, so the higher the dollar amount involved, the more likely it is that the penalties will be harsh.

Common white collar crimes include bankruptcy fraud, marriage fraud, immigration fraud, government fraud, health care fraud, extortion, forgery, embezzlement, credit card fraud, corporate espionage, internet fraud, money laundering, insurance fraud, and insider trading. Although the comprehensive list of white collar crimes is much more extensive, these common criminal acts may not seem like a “big deal” here and there, but can easily escalate when the federal government gets involved. A few white lies or falsified forms can have serious consequences.

White Collar Crime and Criminal Forfeiture

If you are convicted of a white collar crime, the court will typically impose a penalty of criminal forfeiture. This means that the government takes the property that you used to commit your crime or that you gained as a result of your criminal activity. If you are found guilty of the crime, the criminal forfeiture proceeding will take place in front of a judge and may result in a ruling that you must forfeit your property or the earnings involved.

Get a Skilled Alexandria White Collar Defense Attorney Involved

If you’ve been accused of a white collar crime, call your lawyer first. White collar crimes should be handled by an experienced Alexandria white collar defense attorney because these cases can get complicated very quickly. In many cases, conduct that should be handled in civil court is criminalized and taken to a federal or state criminal court for trial. Additionally, most cases focus on whether the accused knew about the criminal nature of his or her activities, and whether the intention of these acts was to defraud or misinform the victims.

At Binnall Law Group, PLLC, we represent anyone who has been charged with a white collar crime. It’s easy to be intimidated by the terms that are thrown around and the potential penalties. For more information or a consultation on your case, contact an Alexandria white collar defense attorney at our firm today.