White collar crime is a term that encompasses non-violent, profit motivated crimes that are committed by business and government professionals. White collar crimes include bribery, fraud, embezzlement, insider trading, Ponzi schemes, kick back schemes, money laundering, and copyright infringement, among others. These crimes differ from “street” crimes which include acts such as murder, rape, and robbery.
With the implementation of the sentencing guidelines in 1984, district court judges no longer have full discretion at punishment. This has led to a substantial increase in lengthy prison sentences for those convicted of white collar crimes. For many white collar crimes, such as fraud, bribery, or money laundering, the sentencing guidelines look at the aggregate loss to calculate the sentence. If those losses are high, the guidelines could place a white collar criminal with a punishment range that includes a life sentence. Given that there is no parole in the Federal system, it is clear the federal government has taken a very strict approach to white collar criminal conduct.
White collar crimes are unique in that each crime will involve elements of willfulness and knowledge. These mens rea elements provide the foundation for most defenses. It is important to hire a white collar criminal defense firm with experience in this field to provide an effective defense to the allegations.
Odom, Davis & Hobson
The white collar crime attorneys at Odom, Davis & Hobson have over 40 years of experience in handling white collar issues ranging from fraud to insider trading. Our firm represented members of Enron in the early 2000’s, British Petroleum following the explosion in Texas City, and countless other business professionals facing allegations involving white collar criminal acts. Our criminal defense attorneys understand the landscape in a white collar case and the defenses available for the specific statutory crimes.
Our firm has represented professionals in federal courts throughout the country. Our firm focuses on representing clients charged with various white collar crimes including health care fraud, criminal tax violations, distribution of child pornography, insider trading, and other monetary fraud.
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