What Exactly Is a White Collar Crime in Arizona?

Have you ever heard of a white collar crime? Perhaps you heard that one of your neighbors was arrested for insurance fraud, or saw the film The Big Short about the mortgage industry fraud that caused a brief depression in 2008.

Whether or not you’ve heard of it, white collar crime, both at the federal level and state level, is a serious offense and carries with it hefty penalties. It’s important to understand what white collar crime is and how Nolan Law Firm can get you out of an Arizona white collar criminal charge.

What is a white collar crime?
“White collar crime” was originally coined in a 1939 address to the American Sociological Society. At the time, it was a term defining criminal activities performed by a person of high social status while employed in their career. Now, the definition has expanded to include fraud commonly committed by professionals in the business and government arenas.

White collar crimes are popular topics for movies and TV shows, but real-world fraud isn’t so entertaining. Perpetrators both at the federal level and in Arizona can go to jail, be levied hefty fines, or experience strict probation. That’s why it’s important to know what white collar crime looks like in Arizona. If you’ve committed one of the following crimes, you need to be aware so you can be protected.

What are white collar crimes in Arizona?
There are a few broad categories of white collar crimes, and mostly they center around one thing: money. White collar crimes can be defined under the following:

• Fraud at the corporate level, including lying on accounting documents, conspiracy, and embezzlement
• Laundering of money
• Fraud of commodities and securities, including investment fraud, mortgage fraud, and insurance fraud

There are many more examples out there (like cyber crime, mail fraud, or telemarketing fraud), but bottom line, white collar crimes are illegal in Arizona. Most white collar crimes that are illegal at the federal level are also illegal in Arizona at the state level.

What if I’ve committed a white collar crime in Arizona?
If you have committed one of the crimes on the list above, you are at risk of being charged with anything from lengthy jail time to fines soaring into the thousands of dollars. But not to worry. Nolan Law Firm is experienced with fraud charges and can assist you in either reducing your penalty or getting out of the charges altogether. Contact us at (480) 359-3457 for 24-hour legal advice, or find us online.