Fighting Back Against Allegations of White Collar Crime

While many people equate the term “white collar crime” with less harsh sentences, this is often not the case. White collar crime is still a crime, and prosecutors will prepare their case against you in the same way they prepare a case against someone accused of a violent crime. If you have been charged with a white collar crime, you will need an aggressive defense to those allegations. The attorneys at Scott M. Brown & Associates can help. Contact us today to speak with a professional about your case.

What are White Collar Crimes?

White collar crimes typically refer to nonviolent crimes involving deceit, breach of trust, concealment, or manipulation. Some examples of white collar crimes are fraud, identity theft, bribery, conspiracy, money laundering, bank fraud, embezzlement, internet crimes, and deceptive business practices.

Types of White Collar Crimes in Texas

The following are three common types of white collar crimes in Texas and the penalties they carry:

Forgery

An individual can be charged with the crime of forgery in Texas if found to have altered, made, completed, or authenticated a writing with the intent to harm or defraud another person. This white collar crime may be considered a misdemeanor, state jail felony, or other felony up to a felony of the first degree. Such individual can be punished with a fine and/or jail time.

Credit Card Fraud

An individual can be charged with credit card fraud in Texas if he or she does one of the following:

Presents a credit or debit card knowing that the card does not belong to him or her or that the card has expired,
Uses a fake credit or debit card with the intent to obtain a benefit, or otherwise receives a benefit from credit card fraud,
Steals a credit or debit card or knowingly receives a stolen credit or debit card,
Buys a credit or debit card from someone who is not the owner or issuer of the card,
Sells a credit or debit card that belongs to someone else, or
Possesses any number of credit or debit cards that belong to someone else.

This white collar crime may be considered a state jail felony or a felony of the third degree.

Identity Theft

In Texas, an individual can be charged with identity theft if he or she obtains, uses, or transfers someone else’s identification information with the intent to harm or defraud that person. Identification information can include information of living and dead people, as well as adults and minors. This white collar crime is punishable as a state jail felony or as a felony up to the first degree.