Las Vegas White Collar Crime Attorney

White-collar crime is a class of crimes committed by professionals, business people, and public officials that generally involves a deliberate attempt to mislead others. While these crimes are non-violent, they carry significant penalties and can have a severe and negative impact on the convicted individual’s family and career.

If you have been accused of a white-collar crime, it is crucial that you find an experienced Las Vegas white collar crime attorney to help you. This type of offense is more complicated than the average criminal case and usually comes with harsher penalties if convicted. Some examples of white-collar crimes include accusations of fraud, deceit, or breaking someone’s trust. Many white-collar crimes are charged at the federal level, and the federal government’s resources make things difficult for any defendant. If you have been arrested or are facing the possibility of arrest for a white-collar crime, you should contact an experienced white collar crime lawyer in Las Vegas who can help protect your rights.

Common White Collar Crimes In Nevada

The Spartacus Law Firm has extensive experience with high-profile criminal defense cases. Our law firm has a history of winning in both state and federal court for Clark County residents. We work quickly and thoroughly to collect evidence or demonstrate the lack of it. Furthermore, we’re unafraid to point out flaws and/or evidence of entrapment in the prosecution’s case. Some examples of white-collar criminal cases include the following:

Fraud

You should never ignore an accusation of fraud, whether it’s in relation to contracts, securities, investments, insurance, or real estate. If you’re accused of intentionally misrepresenting yourself, your intentions, or your product or services, you and your Las Vegas white collar crime attorney must refute the charge immediately and with conviction. Keep in mind that false statements are not always fraudulent—but if you’re found guilty of fraud, it will be costly to both your finances and reputation. Some common types of fraud include:

• ATM Fraud
• Bank Fraud
• Casino Fraud
• Check Fraud
• Credit Card Fraud
• Computer Fraud
• Healthcare Fraud
• Consumer Fraud
• Insurance Fraud
• Mail or Wire Fraud
• Mortgage Fraud
• Stock Fraud or Tax Fraud

Identity Theft

Identity theft involves obtaining and using another person’s personal information without permission to access their money or property. This could be done by using someone’s Social Security number, name, and address to obtain credit cards, a personal loan, medical care, or other items of value. Under Nevada law, the following actions are considered identity theft:

• Possession or sale of documents or personal identifying information to establish false status or identity.
• Obtaining and using the personal information of another person in order to harm that person or assume that person’s identity.
• Using a person’s identifying information for any unlawful purpose.

Embezzlement

If you steal money from a party to whom you have some legal duty, this is called embezzlement. This crime is frequently charged against those whose job includes managing the accuser’s finances, like employees, partners, or investment consultants. If you’ve been accused of embezzlement charges in Nevada, our Las Vegas white collar crime attorney can help by freezing and making available financial records, as well as employing forensic accounting and auditing techniques to document the movement of funds. Defenses are typically built upon findings of inaccurate records, exaggeration of losses, absence of intent, insufficient evidence, etc.

Tax Evasion

Tax evasion is a federal crime characterized by the nonpayment of taxes, and it can be punishable by prison time and/or a fine. However, in order for the government to prosecute someone for tax evasion, they must first prove that the defendant willfully sought to avoid paying their taxes. More often than not, charges of tax evasion are simply due to honest mistakes which can be rectified by simply paying what is owed plus any applicable penalties.

Money Laundering

Laundering money is the process of using illegal cash, also known as dirty money, to make it look like clean, legally-earned income through a series of transactions. The 1998 Money Laundering and Financial Crimes Strategy Act and other sections from the Patriot Act passed help fight this crime by punishing people proven to have moved their illegally-obtained funds in order to hide where the money came from.

Forgery

A person commits forgery if they knowingly pass a false document as genuine with the intention of deceiving others. A common example of forgery is signing someone else’s name on financial documents. Another instance where this could be utilized is creating a copy of the artwork and then trying to sell it as an original professional piece.

Conspiracy

In Las Vegas, Nevada, it is against the law to agree with another person to commit a crime – even if no steps were taken to complete said crimes. This agreement is called criminal conspiracy and can be charged as such. The prosecutor has to prove that an agreement was made between two or more people, and one of them took some sort of action in furtherance of the conspiracy. It should be noted that this does not mean actually committing the crime. If anyone involved in a conspiracy to commit an offense purchases any piece of equipment necessary to carry out the crime, all co-conspirators could be charged with conspiracy.

Bribery

Bribery involves the improper influence of an employee, public official, judge, juror or witness in a court case, or athletes and referees in sporting events. Providing something of value to try to coerce any of these people would potentially give rise to bribery charges. Examples include offering campaign contributions to a judge in exchange for ruling favorably on a case or paying off an athlete or referee to ensure they make calls that benefit the person bribe.

RICO Charges

The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act, more commonly known as RICO, was originally established to target organized crime. However, over time it has been expanded to include multiple charges against one or more people in a series of indictments. These often allege involvement in activities such as drug trafficking, prostitution rings, illegal gambling, money laundering, bribery, etc.

A successful conviction in a white-collar crime case can mean big things for a prosecutor’s career. However, meeting the burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt is not always easy. At the Spartacus Law Firm, we believe any indictment or charge alleging a white-collar crime should be fought vigorously. Our Las Vegas white collar crime attorney is dedicated to providing a thorough and strong defense to clients who face these serious types of allegations.

Penalties For White Collar Crimes In Nevada

In most cases, white collar crimes are Category B or Category C felonies. There are many different penalties for white collar crimes and will depend on the specific crime that you’re charged with. Possible punitive outcomes for white collar crime convictions include:

• Probation
• Fines
• Community Service
• Restitution
• Property Forfeiture
• Imprisonment

For example, if convicted of felony identity theft, you could go to prison for 1-20 years and owe $100,000 or more in fines. That’s not including restitution to the victim(s), your attorney’s fees, and the cost to repair any damage done to your credit history or ratings.

A popular belief is that people accused of white-collar felonies receive minor punishments. However, this isn’t the case at all. In fact, recent financial scandals and fraud have only caused state governments like Nevada to pursue these types of crimes more ferociously than ever before. If a person has multiple counts or violations, the fines and prison terms could be disastrously high. If you are convicted of a felony, it will follow you around for years, making it difficult to find employment or housing. If you are accused of white collar crimes in Nevada, don’t take the charges lightly, contact our Las Vegas white collar crime attorney right away for a consultation.