Embezzlement is a serious crime that can be charged in state or federal court, depending on the circumstances surrounding the case. Punishment for an embezzlement conviction will also vary, depending on the severity of the charges and whether you’re charged in the state or federal system.
State and Federal Embezzlement Charges
Under Florida law, you can be charged with a first, second, or third degree felony or a misdemeanor, depending on the value or type of property stolen. However, if you used the telephone, internet, fax, or bank wire, you could be charged with wire fraud under federal law. You could also be charged with bank fraud or mail fraud, depending on the evidence in the case. Additionally, if the alleged embezzlement involved an agency of the U.S. government or U.S. government property, you will be charged in federal court.
Federal prosecutors pursue these types of cases relentlessly and have the resources to conduct intensive investigations. Therefore, if you are being investigated or have already been charged with embezzlement or fraud, you need an experienced federal defense attorney to begin immediately advocating for you and protecting your rights. It is especially important to talk with your attorney before making any statements to investigators or getting entangled in the federal criminal justice system.
Attorney David Haas is a skilled federal defense attorney with 20 years of legal experience. He will conduct his own thorough investigation and mount a strong, strategic defense to protect your rights and fight the charges against you.
Embezzlement Charges and Related Offenses
Embezzlement is a type of property theft that occurs when a person who has been trusted to manage or monitor another party’s money or property steals all or some of the money or property. Taking the money or property is in itself an act of theft. When combined with violating a special position of trust, it is considered embezzlement.
Embezzlement can occur in numerous contexts. For example, a bank employee might embezzle clients’ money; employees of a business might embezzle company funds; or financial planners might take clients’ money. Whatever the context, the key element is betrayal of financial trust by one or more person.
If you have been charged with embezzlement, you may also be accused of other crimes, including:
Theft: Depending on the amount you allegedly embezzled, you could be charged with petty theft or grand theft.
Forgery: If the alleged embezzlement involved forging someone else’s name, you could face forgery charges in addition to theft charges.
Wire Fraud: If you allegedly used any interstate electronic communications in an attempt to defraud someone of property, then you could be charged with wire fraud in federal court.
Bank Fraud: If you allegedly used deception or deceit to obtain money or other property from a financial institution or from a bank’s depositors, then you could be charged with bank fraud under federal law.
Mail Fraud: If you allegedly used the mail in executing or attempting to execute an embezzlement scheme, you could be charged with mail fraud under federal law.
We Will Help You Fight Embezzlement and Other Charges
Embezzlement cases are often complex, involving difficult financial issues and complicated documents and ledgers. To fight your charges effectively, you need an experienced federal defense attorney who understands white collar financial crimes and knows how prosecutors handle embezzlement cases.
At Haas Law, we’ll leverage our experience and expertise to protect your rights and defend you aggressively and strategically. We will dedicate ourselves to reviewing the evidence in your case and building the strongest possible defense.
We might, for example, be able to show that you have been falsely accused or did not have criminal intent. On the other hand, if the prosecution tries to charge you for numerous incidents of embezzlement, we could argue that the incidents were part of one plan and should be viewed as only a single crime.
Fight Embezzlement Charges with the Aggressive Advocacy and Experience of Haas Law
No matter how serious the charges or how complex the case, Attorney David Haas will fight aggressively to protect your rights and your future. He will provide the strongest defense there is to resolve your case as advantageously as possible.
At Haas Law, we focus on federal criminal defense and defending white collar crimes. We understand how the government builds its case against you and implement customized defense strategies to help you get the best results possible. We believe every client deserves our utmost attention, and we know that fighting the federal government requires experience, skill, and aggressive advocacy.
If you are being investigated for or have been charged with embezzlement, call us at 407-755-7675 or submit our form online as soon as possible so we can begin preparing your best defense.