White Collar Crime 101

“White collar” crime can be a confusing area of the law for those who are not familiar with it because many aspects of this type of crime are different from other, more common crimes that are alleged and prosecuted. Understanding a white collar criminal case may require an attorney who is well-versed in this area of the law.

Generally, white collar crime is defined as criminal conduct used to deceive or defraud another party for the purposes of obtaining money, property or services. This can also be thought of as “paper” crimes because they usually occur in the workplace and are nonviolent. This does not mean, however, that they are minor or insignificant. To the contrary, egregious white collar crimes can be even more devastating and crippling to the livelihoods of innocent victims than physical crimes.

White collar crimes are prosecuted at both the state and federal levels, depending on the circumstances of a particular case. Because white collar crimes often involve investigations and acts that cross state lines, or that otherwise are covered by federal statutes, they are often turned into federal cases and prosecuted by an Assistant United States Attorney from the Department of Justice. However, such alleged crimes can be prosecuted by state assistant prosecutors as well. In either case, it is important to have a knowledgeable New Jersey white collar criminal defense attorney in your corner.