Williamson County White Collar Crime Lawyer

The penalties for white collar crimes can be devastating for your future and your freedom-even if you didn't know that you were committing a crime. Get the defense you need by working with a Williamson County white collar crime lawyer.

Many people think of white collar crimes as a high-end crime with little-to-no fallout for the perpetrator, but this is not the case. These types of crimes have also gained increasing prominence in the public eye since the Enron, Freddie Mac, Lehman Brothers, and Bernie Madoff Ponzi schemes, as well as scandals such as the Shkreli drug-pricing debacle.

All of these high-profile cases and the growing public anger against white collar crimes are encouraging prosecutors to be extremely tough on any individual accused of them. If you are facing criminal charges of this nature, you need to start your defense by speaking with a Williamson County white collar crime lawyer from Hines & Holub to see what we can do to get the charges against you reduced or dismissed.

Types and Examples of White Collar Crimes

A huge number of charges fall into what are known as white collar crimes, so each case can be quite different. This is one of the biggest reasons to seek the advice of a Williamson County white collar crime lawyer, as we can explain the consequences of pleading guilty or no-contest and how we might be able to help you avoid those consequences.

Some of the more common types of white collar crimes are as follows:

• • Tax evasion is not paying the proper amount in taxes through intentionally hiding funds.

• • Embezzlement is stealing money from clients or employers through different manipulations of the system in question.

• • Extortion occurs when threats are used to get someone to do something. This may also include physical violence.

• • Blackmail is threatening to disclose information about someone that may be damaging to their personal or professional lives in exchange for favors or money.

• • Forgery covers many acts, including signing someone else's signature on a document or creating duplicates of works of art with the intent to deceive and profit.

• • Trademark counterfeiting is the unauthorized use of patterns, symbols, and words, including money and brand names.

• • Deceptive business practices occur when a business attempts to lure consumers into buying a product through means such as false advertising, bait-and-switch, odometer tampering, and other fraudulent methods.

• • Fraudulent use or possession of identifying information includes using a fake state ID or another individual's ID to access restricted areas, steal money or other goods, or profit in some way.

• • Money laundering is funneling illegally obtained funds through a legitimate business to "legalize" them.

• • Insurance Fraud includes filing false claims through insurance policies or filing for items that were not actually destroyed or stolen.

• • Bribery is paying money or gifts to someone to do something that is against either the law or company policy for the payer's benefit.

The penalties for white collar crimes can vary greatly depending on the number of charges and persons allegedly defrauded or otherwise negatively affected. They can run all the way up to first degree felonies that may carry upwards of life in prison. Your Williamson County white collar crime lawyer can help you determine what penalty the prosecution is likely to push for.

Internet Crimes in Texas

Many people ask if they can really go to jail for committing an Internet crime, and the answer is "absolutely." Many Internet crimes revolve around identity theft, but without the physical theft of an identification card or credit cards. Others include hacking into secure systems and online impersonation, often with the intent to damage another's reputation or to harass them.

Other forms of cybercrimes include fraud designed to fool a person into believing a website is legitimate in an attempt to recover personal information or steal money or goods, also known as "phishing." It's surprisingly easy to commit some of these crimes without realizing or intending to do so. A Facebook page might have been meant as joke or prank, but it can still be a crime. Your Williamson County white collar crime lawyer will help you prove what really happened in these circumstances.

Legal Penalties for White Collar Crimes

Whether you are facing one or several of these charges, you have to fight against them because the consequences can be devastating to your family's financial stability and your freedom. Even the relatively minor charges will have major consequences for your life.

You will face steep fines, possible surcharges, community service, probation, and prison time. Some of these prison terms can even add up to a life sentence. Your Williamson County white collar crime lawyer will have the experience needed to parse through the charges and find the evidence essential to reducing or dismissing the charges.

Non-Legal Repercussions of White Collar Crimes

The legal penalties will not be the only kind of punishment you face. The social fallout can be even more frustrating and upsetting. You will face the stigma of being a criminal from your colleagues, friends, and even family, which can be the worst penalty of all.

Any job or apartment you apply for will probably have a question asking if you have ever been convicted of a crime, and you will have to answer "yes" for the rest of your life. Regardless of what potential employers say, they will likely hold it against you even if they don't know what the crime was. You could also be open to a civil lawsuit that can use a criminal court conviction as evidence in the civil trial.

If your business is accused of one of these crimes, the charges alone could destroy your reputation and negatively affect your sales and client faith. Even one act by one employee can get your company's name spread across the news as the focal point of the latest scandal.