Many white collar crimes involve some form of identity theft or fraud. For example, in Texas it is a Class B misdemeanor to falsely identify oneself as a police officer. Basically, this covers someone possessing or displaying a law enforcement badge even though they are not actually a “peace officer” or reserve police officer. Court: […]

White collar crimes are no laughing matter, especially when the defendant is a public official. The misuse of government funds can lead to serious felony charges such as wire fraud. And even a single conviction on wire fraud charges may carry a prison term of up to 20 years. Recently, the U.S. Court of Appeals […]

Identity theft is one of the most commonly prosecuted white collar crimes in Texas. If you intentionally use someone else’s name, Social Security number, or other personal identifying information (PII) to obtain money, credit, or anything else of value, you can face serious federal criminal charges. And prosecutors will not hesitate to charge a potential […]

When charged with a white collar crime, whether at the federal or state level, you have a constitutional right to a jury trial. The jury itself must be impartial and only consider the evidence lawfully introduced at trial. If there is any improper outside influence on the jury, that may be grounds for a mistrial […]

When a person is convicted of certain federal crimes, they can be ordered to pay restitution–i.e., compensation–to their victims. This goes for white-collar crimes as well as violent offenses. That said, the law does restrict the types of restitution that the government may seek to recoup on behalf of a victim. Restitution Law Meant to […]

White collar crimes like forgery are often prosecuted as misdemeanor offenses, which carry one year or less of jail time. But if a defendant has a prior criminal record, the prosecution may seek to “enhance” the misdemeanor charge into a felony. This means that even a fairly simple crime like check forging may land a […]

Tax crimes are among the most commonly prosecuted forms of white collar crimes in Texas. Indeed, one of the easiest ways to find yourself in the crosshairs of the IRS or the U.S. Attorney’s office is to file a fraudulent tax return–or even worse, to file multiple such returns on behalf of other people. This […]

White collar crimes include a wide variety of offenses related to forgery and counterfeiting. For example, under federal law, it is a felony to use or attempt to use a forged passport for any purpose. And depending on the defendant’s purpose in using a forged passport, they can face a prison term of up to […]

White collar crimes such as fraud often involve multiple defendants accused of participating in a conspiracy. While prosecutors must prove that each defendant had “knowledge” of the conspiracy, that does not necessarily require proof of direct knowledge. In fact, the prosecution may prove its case by showing a defendant acted with “deliberate ignorance.” Put another […]

The federal government takes fraud seriously, particularly when it is the victim. Individuals charged with defrauding federal programs often face severe sentences if convicted, and in many cases, those sentences are “enhanced” under federal guidelines to account for other things such as the defendant’s refusal to cooperate with investigators. Take the recent case of Shonda […]