An Overview of White Collar Crimes

The term “criminal charges” often brings to mind a violent offense such as an assault or sex crime. In fact, criminal charges can also refer to nonviolent crimes, such as white collar crimes.

Although these types of offenses are nonviolent in nature, an individual charged with any type of crime requires the expert help of a criminal defense attorney. With help from the team at a criminal law firm, you can learn more about building a solid white collar defense in the Maryland and D.C. areas.

Tax Evasion

In addition to being nonviolent, white collar crimes are characterized by the intentions of their alleged perpetrators. They tend to involve acts of deceit for the purpose of financial gain. One type of white collar crime is tax evasion. While it’s common for taxpayers to make simple mistakes on tax returns, some individuals are accused of purposely underreporting their income or failing to file a tax return at all. Tax evasion also encompasses reporting false information, such as by inappropriately inflating deductions. If you’ve been accused of tax evasion by the IRS, it’s time to contact a criminal defense attorney who has experience handling white collar crimes.

Racketeering

Racketeering can involve any type of offense that is committed for the purpose of benefitting a criminal organization. Some common charges that fall under the category of racketeering include obstruction of justice, money laundering, extortion, and bribery.

Public Corruption

Private citizens aren’t the only ones who can be accused of white collar crimes by law enforcement agencies. Sometimes, individuals who hold public offices are accused of these types of crimes. Public corruption involves any type of offense that abuses the power of an individual’s office. For example, an elected or appointed official may be accused of embezzling funds entrusted to them for the public good, taking money inappropriately from parties who may wish to influence a vote, and appointing unqualified individuals to posts based on family connections.