White collar crime can take many different forms, and there are a wide variety of charges that can be brought in connection with a white collar criminal offense. According to Georgetown University, the term white collar crime is used to refer to offenses “that are designed to produce financial gain using some form of deception,” […]
White Collar Crime: Ponzi Schemes and Pyramid Schemes
March 25th, 2022 by Tad Nelson in White Collar Crime
Houston Man Faces 20 Years in Prison for Acting as “Runner” in Telemarketing Scam
October 28th, 2021 by Tad Nelson in Conspiracy, Criminal Defense, White Collar Crime
Nobody likes getting telemarketing calls. One reason for this is that many such calls are schemes designed to cheat individuals out of their money. Indeed, a popular scam is to call unsuspecting persons claiming to be from a government agency. The caller is told they are under investigation for some imagined crime and that they […]
Can a Company be Held Criminally Liable for Employee Fraud?
February 25th, 2021 by Tad Nelson in White Collar Crime
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 […]
What are the Penalties for a White Collar Crime Conviction?
January 27th, 2021 by Tad Nelson in White Collar Crime
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 […]
Impersonating a Peace Officer Lands Fort Bend County Man in Jail for 6 Months
October 1st, 2020 by Tad Nelson in White Collar Crime
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: […]
Appeals Court Upholds Former Texas City Manager’s 35-Year Prison Sentence for Wire Fraud
August 28th, 2020 by Tad Nelson in White Collar Crime
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 […]
Houston U.S. Attorney Charges DHS Employee with Wire Fraud, Identity Theft
July 31st, 2020 by Tad Nelson in White Collar Crime
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 […]
Houston Judge Reverses Jury, Orders Acquittal in Adoption Mail-Fraud Case
June 29th, 2020 by Tad Nelson in White Collar
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 […]
Former Texas Mayor, Spouse Receive New Trial on Federal Fraud and Bribery Charges
May 29th, 2020 by Tad Nelson in White Collar Crime
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 […]
Fifth Circuit: BP Not Entitled to “Restitution” for Its Costs in Helping FBI Catch Rogue Employee
April 29th, 2020 by Tad Nelson in White Collar, White Collar Crime
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 […]