What Does a Houston White Collar Crime Lawyer Cover?

Have you ever wondered what a Houston white collar crime lawyer covers? This is a common question posed by many people, especially those who might need legal representation because of a white-collar crime charge. In Houston, you will find experienced white-collar crime lawyers at the ready to build a defense for any of these charges. These charges can include embezzlement, forgery, and money laundering. For this post we will focus on embezzlement.

White Collar Crime Lawyer and Embezzlement

Embezzlement is a crime of theft and oftentimes fraud. It most commonly occurs in the banking and finance industries but can occur in any type of business. A person commits the crime of embezzlement when they steal money from their employer. The money can be in the form of cash, checks, stocks, bonds, and other currency. Fraud is often involved because employees will destroy, alter, or falsify company records in an effort to hide their actions.

Types of Embezzlement

An employee might be accused of embezzlement if he or she took part in any of the following actions at work:

• Move money out of a safe or cash register without proper authorization to do so.
• Divert merchandise away from their employer to another location.
• Transfer funds electronically to a private account from a company account.

Quite a few embezzlement issues are handled privately, which means they never reach the courts. The ones that typically reach the legal system are those that involve large sums of money, property, or merchandise. It’s best that you have an experienced Houston white collar crime lawyer defend you in court and not try to do it yourself.

Embezzlement Penalties

If charged and convicted of committing embezzlement, you will face the following penalties in Texas:

• $200,000 or more stolen: Five to 99 years in jail.
• $100,000 to $199,999 stolen: Two to 20 years in jail.
• $20,000 to $99,999 stolen: Two to 10 years in jail.
• $1,500 to $19,999 stolen: 180 days to two years in a state jail.

It is in your best interest to contact an experienced Houston white collar crime lawyer if you’ve been charged with embezzlement, forgery, or money laundering in the state of Texas.