Los Angeles White Collar Crime Attorney

Los Angeles White Collar Crime Lawyer

Legal Consequences Of Financially-motivated Offenses

Having an investigation begun in your name can be one of the most frightening situations an individual can face. You may be wondering how you will ever recover if you are convicted. Will you lose your job? Will your family despise you? How will you become an active member of society again?

While these are all legitimate concerns raised by individuals accused of white-collar crime in Southern California, it is even more important to seek the answers to these questions. Fortunately, a Los Angeles white-collar defense attorney from Okabe & Haushalter is highly experienced in navigating these matters. In 2015, our dedicated team secured minimum sentencing in what prosecutors called the largest public official bribery case resulting from a sting operation in U.S. history.

What Is A White Collar Crime?

A white-collar crime is a nonviolent, usually financial offense that includes any of the following criminal acts:

• Fraud: Fraud is any wrongful or criminal deception intended to result in personal or financial gain. It is a broad concept, and most white-collar crimes can be considered fraud.
• Bribery: Bribery refers to giving, soliciting, offering, or receiving any item of value to influence the actions of another individual who is performing a legal or public duty.
• Embezzlement refers to the misappropriation of funds or assets that are placed in a person’s trust or belonging to a person’s employer.
• Extortion: This refers to the practice of obtaining assets through force or threats.
• Identity theft: Identity theft refers to the fraudulent acquisition of a person’s private identifying information, usually in an attempt to gain assets through deception or theft.
• Forgery: This refers to the action of forging or producing copies of documents, banknotes, signatures, works of art, etc., for financial gain.
• Tax evasion: This refers to the intentional underpayment of taxes or the illegal non-payment of taxes.
• Insider trading is the illegal practice of a person trading securities to their own advantage after having access to confidential information about those securities.
• Internet and computer crime refers to any crime committed over the Internet. This can include financial crimes, fraud, child pornography, harassment and stalking, and more.
• Public corruption refers to a breach of public trust or abuse of a position by a federal, state, or municipal public official. This can include elected or unelected officials.
• Healthcare fraud, including Medicare and Medicaid fraud, is defined as any action taken by any person to defraud the healthcare system, particularly Medicare and Medicaid.
• Insurance fraud: Insurance fraud occurs when an individual or entity makes false or exaggerated claims in an attempt to gain compensation for injuries or losses that were not actually suffered.
• Securities fraud, often referred to as stock fraud or investment fraud, is the deceptive practice of encouraging investors to make purchases or sales decisions based on false information.
• Federal white-collar crimes: Our firm handles all types of white-collar crimes, including those at the federal level. The federal criminal process is different from that of state-level white-collar crimes.
• Credit Card Fraud: In the simplest of terms, a person not authorized to use a credit card does so to obtain goods or property. That is the most common way to describe credit card fraud. Other cases may include a person using stolen information to establish a new credit line without consent.
• Blackmail: Those in a position of power can often be caught in deep water when others lie to authorities about them. Blackmail is when a person of influence within a company threatens another person with bodily harm or an injured reputation to obtain money or other valuables from someone.

Regardless of if you are at fault for committing a white-collar crime, you will need to have a Los Angeles white-collar crime lawyer fighting for your freedom every step of the way.

White Collar Crimes Laws & Penalties

No one body of law governs and defines all white-collar crimes together. While they all share a common thread (financially motivated and nonviolent), they are all found in different sections of the United States Code. They are even investigated by other federal agencies, such as the IRS and the US Treasury. Listed below are some of the various white-collar offenses and where they are found in the criminal codes:

• Fraud and False Statements: Detailed in 18 U.S.C. Chapter 47
• Tax Evasion: Detailed in 26 U.S.C. Chapter 7201 “Attempt to Evade or Defeat Tax”
• Embezzlement: Detailed in 18 U.S.C. Chapter 31 “Embezzlement and Theft”
• Extortion: Detailed in 18 U.S.C. Chapter 41 and § 872 “Extortion and Threats” and “Extortion by Officers or Employees of the United States”
• Insider Trading: Detailed in 15 U.S.C. § 78u-1 “Civil Penalties for Insider Trading”

What does the process look like?

White-collar crime cases are often very complex and can lead to extensive changes. In some of the most intricate ones, the local or federal governments can get involved. The key to handling these cases is having a Los Angeles white-collar crime lawyer fighting for your rights in your corner. Prosecuting attorneys can bring felony or misdemeanor charges against you, and your Los Angeles white-collar crime lawyer can proceed according to the severity of the charges.

A common misconception is that all white-collar crime cases are tried in federal court. That is not always true as many cases never reach the federal level. The first part of any case is the investigation process, which can take a long time. This is the most crucial time to hire a Los Angeles white-collar crime lawyer because once an investigation is complete, it will go to a prosecutor for criminal filing. If you have an attorney early on this, we can prevent charges from being filed or even reduce charges.

Once an investigation is complete, an arrest warrant may be issued by a judge depending on what the authorities present to the court. If a warrant is issued, you will be arrested and stay in custody until bail is posted. There will be a caveat to posting bail as any money tied up in the case cannot be used to post bail. Next, a court date will be set for an arraignment, where you will be informed of the exact charges you are dealing with, and a plea will be entered of guilty or not guilty.

Depending on the plea, the following steps can be complex: guilty will lead to one set of processes, and not guilty will entirely lead to a different route. Having a Los Angeles white-collar crime lawyer from the earliest stages is essential to know what you are facing and build a strong case before it gets too far. Do not face these charges alone.

Contact Okabe & Haushalter Today!

Your future is at stake if you or someone you know is facing a white-collar crime-related investigation. Your reputation and freedom will rely on your ability to hastily procure legal representation from a firm known for its ability to litigate in and out of a courtroom. At our office, the Los Angeles white-collar crime attorney has years of intimate experience with the law and has been named a Los Angeles Magazine Super Lawyer for six consecutive years, from 2005 to 2010.

We have helped dozens in the Los Angeles and South Bay communities secure their future. Our criminal defense lawyers at the firm are incredibly well-versed in all areas of the law, especially those of white-collar crimes. When seeking exceptional legal counsel, look no further. Our team is here to help.