On behalf of Rosenblum Schwartz & Fry posted in White Collar Crimes on Friday, March 31, 2017.
That white collar crime is increasingly on the minds of regulators and law enforcement agencies in Missouri and across the country is amply evidenced by the steady stream of media stories these days chronicling tales of alleged wrongdoing by individuals and business entities in this singular area of law.
White collar probes and prosecutions might be seen by some people as comparatively less severe in nature than are investigations regarding charges related to things like drug offenses, violent crimes, sexual assault and so forth.
Increasingly, that is not the case, though, with local, state and federal task forces often working in concert to target and ultimately prosecute company principals and mainstream employees for a wide range of alleged offenses. Criminal counts commonly relate to matters such as these:
- Tax evasion and other tax-fraud offenses
- Securities fraud
- Bank fraud (including embezzlement)
- Health care fraud (e.g., Medicare and Medicaid)
- Mail and wire fraud (often seen in RICO cases, with conspiracy charges tacked on)
- Credit card, Internet and identification fraud
A point we centrally make on our criminal defense website at the established St. Louis law firm of Rosenblum Fry, P.C., is this: Although some white collar defendants clearly know that they are committing unlawful actions, many people acting within the scope of their professional duties each day in the St. Louis area and nationally are engaging in criminal conduct only unwittingly.
And, indeed, it is often the case that what law enforcers allege is simply wrong. As we note for our readers, the white collar crime realm is financially based and exceedingly complex, with a clearly “slippery slope” being operative in many instances.
The potential consequences of a white collar criminal conviction can be flatly severe. Any individual with questions or concerns regarding a white collar probe or charge might reasonably want to contact proven defense counsel without delay.