White collar crimes have a reputation for being less severe than other kinds of criminal offenses. While it is true that someone accused of a white collar crime may not face the same severe penalties as someone who was convicted of a violent or repeat drug offense, they can still have devastating consequences for defendants. […]

Many white-collar crimes are committed by employees of large companies. Unfortunately, while many of these individuals are acting on their own, it is not uncommon for the companies that hire them to be unfairly accused of participating in the scheme. This can have devastating financial and personal repercussions for a company, making it especially important […]

White collar crime allegations are taken very seriously in Texas, even though they are by definition, non-violent offenses. For this reason, most of those who are accused of committing a white collar crime end up facing felony charges. Some of the more minor offenses, however, can be charged as misdemeanors, which tend to have much […]

Embezzlement is a term used to describe the act of stealing money that someone else has entrusted you to manage or hold on his or her behalf. While cases involving embezzlement often arise in the employment context, such as when an employee uses company funds for his or her own use, this is not the […]

When you are tried for any federal or state crime in Texas, the jury must unanimously agree that you are guilty. This means the jurors must be unanimous with respect to each element of the alleged offense. However, that does not necessarily mean the jurors all have to agree as to the underlying facts. In […]

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 […]

White collar crimes such as fraud often involve alleged conduct that takes place over an extended period of time. In attempting to prove a criminal charge, however, prosecutors need to show the defendant not only devised the scheme to defraud but also acted with specific intent to defraud. And as with any criminal case, the […]

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 […]