White Collar Crimes in California
California prosecutors are becoming more and more aggressive when it comes to white collar crimes. While many people do not consider white collar crimes to be as serious as violent criminal acts, the penalties associated with while collar offenses can be severe. If you or someone you know has been accused of committing white collar crimes in the Los Angeles area, call or contact The Law Offices of Omar Gastelum and Associates today to schedule an evaluation of your case with an experienced California criminal defense attorney.
What is White Collar Crime?
White collar crime is an umbrella term for a number of criminal acts that are typically nonviolent in nature involving deliberate deception for financial gain. White collar crimes can involve small amounts of money or millions of dollars and involve real estate, personal property, securities, financial accounts, insurance, and more. Some of the most common white collar crimes include the following:
- Public corruption
- Money laundering
- Securities and commodities fraud
- Mortgage fraud
- Healthcare fraud
- Embezzlement
- Self-dealing
- Identity theft
- Ponzi schemes
- Pyramid schemes
- Counterfeiting
- Forgery
- Bribery, and more.
Penalties for White Collar Conviction
The penalties for white collar crime convictions depend on the type of offense, the amount of money lost to victims, and whether there is a prior history of other white collar convictions. For misdemeanor white collar crimes, penalties can include a jail term up to one year, fines, and restitution to victims. For felony conviction of white collar crimes, even a first offense can come with a prison sentence up to five years, thousands of dollars in fines, and restitution to victims.
California state law also allows for aggravated white collar crime enhancements that can add two to five years to a prison sentence if a person has two prior convictions and the value lost to victims is more than $100,000. If a victim loses between $100,000 and $500,000 an additional two years can be added to a prison sentence, and for all amounts above $500,000 the court can add another three to five years on top of the original sentence.
In addition, many people facing state white collar offenses also face federal charges. Federal white collar charges are applicable if the offense took place over state lines or involved the phone, internet, mail, or other forms of communication. Conviction of federal offenses can result in lengthy prison terms in federal corrections facilities, thousands of dollars in fines, restitution, and other penalties. To learn more about what to expect from state and federal white collar charges, talk to an experienced California criminal defense attorney today.
Call or Contact Our Office Now
Have you or someone you know been accused of committing a white collar crime in California? If so, you need to speak with a knowledgeable California criminal defense attorney about your legal options. Call the office or contact us today at The Law Offices of Omar Gastelum and Associates to schedule a consultation of your case with a highly qualified lawyer.
