CALL TODAY! 310-430-7799 MENU OKABE & HAUSHALTER LOS ANGELES WHITE COLLAR CRIME ATTORNEY HomeLos Angeles Criminal DefenseWhite Collar Crimes 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 a 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 defined as any wrongful or criminal deception intended to result in personal or financial gain. Fraud is a broad concept, and most white collar crimes can be defined as a type of fraud. Bribery: Bribery refers to giving, soliciting, offering, or receiving any item of value with the intention of influencing the actions of another individual holding a legal or public duty. Embezzlement: This 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 the use of 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: This is the illegal practice of a person trading securities to their own advantage after having access to confidential information pertaining to those securities. Internet and computer crime: This refers to any crime that is committed over the internet. This can include financial crimes, fraud, child pornography, harassment and stalking, and more. Public corruption: This refers to a breach of public trust or abuse of a position by a federal, state, or municipal public official. This can include elected officials or un-elected officials. Health care fraud, including Medicare fraud and Medicaid fraud: This is defined as an action taken by any person with the intention of defrauding the health care system, particularly Medicare and Medicaid. Insurance fraud: Insurance fraud is defined as occurring 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: This is often referred to as stock fraud or investment fraud, and is the deceptive practice that encourages investors to make purchases or sales decisions on the basis of 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 going to be different than state-level white collar crimes. Credit Card Fraud: In the simplest of terms, this is when a person who is 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 pertain to 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 There is no one body of law that 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 and are even investigated by different federal agencies such as the IRS and the U.S. 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 make it to the federal level. The first part of any case is the investigation process which can take a lengthy amount of 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 will stay in custody until bail is posted. There will be a caveat to posting bail as any money that may be 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 next steps can be complex as a guilty plea will lead to one set of processes, and a not guilty will entirely lead to a different route. It is important to have a Los Angeles white-collar crime lawyer from the earliest stages to know what you are facing and build a strong case before it even gets too far. Do not face these charges alone. Contact Okabe & Haushalter Today! If you or someone you know is facing any white collar crime-related investigation, your future is at stake. 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. Here, 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 Lawyers 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 extremely well-versed in all areas of the law, especially those pertaining to white collar crimes. When seeking exceptional legal counsel, look no further. Our team is here to help. Okabe & Haushalter Call For A FREE CONSULTATION High-profile criminal defense cases deserve major league legal representation. The quality of your legal counsel can often make the difference between maintaining or losing your freedom. Do not take chances when it comes to choosing the right lawyer. To learn more about how our team of Los Angeles criminal defense attorneys can help, contact the legal team at Okabe & Haushalter and schedule a free consultation to discuss your case. CONTACT LOS ANGELES CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEYS ALL FIELDS ARE REQUIRED By clicking submit you are agreeing to the terms and conditions. Submit 310-430-7799 MANHATTAN BEACH 1230 Rosecrans Avenue, Suite 300 Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 Get Directions SAN FRANCISCO One Sansome Street, Suite 3500 San Francisco, CA 94104 Get Directions LOS ANGELES Two California Plaza 350 S Grand Ave, #2220 Los Angeles, CA 90071 Get Directions CHICAGO 900 W Jackson Blvd, Suite 5W Chicago, IL 60607 Get Directions LAS VEGAS 601 S 10th St Las Vegas, NV 89101 Get Directions BEVERLY HILLS 9595 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 900 Beverly Hills, CA 90212 Get Directions Home About The Firm Criminal Defense Civil Representation Personal Injury International Media Case Results Blog Contact Us About Us Cases We Handle Free Evaluation © 2021 All Rights Reserved Disclaimer Site Map Privacy Policy Powered By