What is a White-Collar Crime?
A white-collar crime is any non-violent criminal activity (typically in the business or commercial realm) that uses some form of deception to produce financial gain. Examples include fraud, embezzlement, forgery, identity theft, etc.
The investigation and prosecution of white-collar economic crimes is an increasing focus of law enforcement. The district attorney’s office in Colorado Springs has several attorneys and investigators who specialize in white-collar law. The Colorado Springs Police Department and El Paso County Sheriff’s Department also have assigned full-time detectives to these cases.
White-Collar Crime Attorneys
The white-collar crime lawyers at the Gasper Law Group have previous experience as prosecutors in major fraud and financial crimes. Now, representing the accused, we have a unique perspective in advising those who are either charged or under investigation for these crimes. Our criminal defense attorneys have extensive experience handling high-profile white-collar crimes, with several cases involving thousands of dollars.
Our white-collar criminal lawyers represent clients in El Paso County, Teller County, Pueblo County, Douglas County, Fremont County, and most of southern Colorado. If you are accused of fraud or misappropriation of money or property, contact our white-collar crime attorneys immediately for a free initial consultation.
We represent clients in a full range of white-collar offenses, including:
- Embezzlement and other employee theft
- Credit card theft and identity theft
- Forgery and check fraud
- Mortgage fraud
- Bank fraud
- Construction fraud
- Unemployment fraud and welfare fraud
- Insurance fraud
- Healthcare fraud
- Securities fraud
- Wire fraud and mail fraud
- Tax fraud and tax evasion
- Racketeering
- Cybercrime
- Money laundering
- Counterfeiting
- Conspiracy and schemes to defraud
- Bribery
- Extortion
- Insider trading
How Our White-Collar Defense Attorneys Can Help
White-collar crime cases present their own set of unique challenges to defend. First and foremost, there is generally a paper trail, in the form of bank records (including yours), tax returns, correspondence, or internally generated company records that can be accessed by law enforcement at any time, assuming the proper procedures are followed. Likewise, e-mails and even your home computer might be searched. For many financial crimes, the statute of limitations can run for three years after the alleged offense was discovered, not simply when it is alleged to have occurred. This means that sometimes years can pass before formal charges are brought by the authorities.
Secondly, unlike many “street crimes” where an arrest might be made almost immediately, white-collar crimes take a long time to investigate. If you are under investigation, at some point it is likely that a detective will contact you in a non-threatening fashion, perhaps even by telephone, to “get your side of the story.” The police are not required to read you your rights in this situation, and anything you say can indeed be used against you in court.
In Colorado, the penalties for a white-collar crime can be steep and severe. Many of these offenses carry substantial prison time for a conviction. There are a number of factors that could potentially impact the severity of the penalties for a white-collar offense, such as:
- The nature of the crime
- Criminal history
- The amount of money involved
- The number of victims
Our white-collar crime lawyers explore all grounds to dismiss charges or negotiate a favorable plea. Many of our clients are professionals, executives, business owners, or military officers whose careers or reputations could be irreparably harmed. The white-collar crime attorneys can intervene and, under the right set of circumstances, avoid a public arrest and possibly avoid formal charges altogether by disproving evidence or proving that you were unaware your actions were criminal, for example.
Colorado Springs White-Collar Crime Lawyers
Only a seasoned attorney can provide effective legal representation in these types of complex cases. You can count on the white-collar defense attorneys at the Gasper Law Group to work to resolve the matter in a way that is most beneficial for you. Contact us today for a free initial consultation where we will discuss the facts of your case and inform you of the potential outcomes and your legal rights.
