Most people caught up in white-collar crimes have no idea what they could be up against in federal court. This is why it’s so important to turn to Mr. Lowther and Mr. Walker from Lowther Walker, LLC for representation in white-collar crime matters.
White-collar crimes are serious criminal matters that can have devastating effects on a person’s professional career and personal life. Once charges are filed in a federal case of a white-collar crime, the government is able to invoke laws that take away an alleged suspect’s home, property, and other assets. Charges often also result in significant negative impacts on businesses and personal matters. When an individual or organization is charged with a white-collar crime, every action and decision after that charge is scrutinized and can help, or hurt, the case. It is absolutely essential to secure an experienced white-collar crime lawyer as soon as possible after being suspected, charged, or convicted, as most general counsel does not have experience with white-collar crime.
White-collar crimes are typically crimes characterized by non-violence and a lack of physical force to deceive, conceal, or violate trust in order to achieve some financial gain. Often the crime occurs in regards to an avoidance of money loss, an avoidance of property loss, or in an attempt to gain more income, property, or personal advantage. White-collar crimes can include a multitude of crimes committed by individuals, businesses, and government officials. These crimes can end up being charged as misdemeanors or felonies, depending on the situation. If convicted, victims of the white-collar crime may come forward and file civil lawsuits against convicted individuals or businesses.
Often investigations into white-collar crimes can take a long time, lasting months or even years. There are usually many paper trails to follow and many witnesses to speak to. One of the reasons it’s imperative to secure a white-collar crime lawyer as soon as possible is because experienced white-collar crime lawyers can intervene in the investigation stage prior to charges even being filed. Highly skilled and knowledgeable criminal defense attorneys will often be in communication with district attorneys and other attorneys involved in the investigation, making the end result more favorable for you. Having the right lawyer intervene could potentially help reduce the charges or even halt the charges altogether.
White-collar crimes can be tried in state courts. Most states have a small team of local attorneys in the District Attorney’s office that handle white-collar criminal cases. Additionally, more and more fraud cases have led to the rise of specialized fraud prevention or control teams, which usually reside within the District Attorney’s office.
If charges are brought at a federal level, which is common with white-collar crimes, the punishment for white-collar crimes can be extremely severe. The government takes white-collar crimes very seriously, and depending on the severity and complication of the alleged crime, they may aim to impose extensive penalties. When dealing with charges at the federal level, it’s crucial to have accomplished lawyers who are familiar with the federal court system and how it handles white-collar crimes.
Joshua Sabert Lowther, Esq. and Murdoch Walker, II, Esq. are accomplished federal criminal defense attorneys that have a long history of successfully representing individuals and corporations that have been accused or convicted of white-collar crimes.
In Atlanta and throughout the rest of the United States, Mr. Lowther and Mr. Walker represent clients from a variety of backgrounds, including, but not limited to, the following: law, medicine, banking, manufacturing, real estate, securities, IT, politics, entertainment, international logistics, and more. The attorneys at Lowther Walker, LLC represent both individual and corporate clients during all stages of federal criminal prosecutions and post-conviction relief matters. Mr. Lowther and Mr. Walker have the ability to represent any client in any federal trial, appellate, administrative, or tribal court in the United States in a variety of situations.
Any number of white-collar crimes can bring about severe punishments, both personally and professionally, which is why it is essential to retain knowledgeable and accomplished white-collar crime lawyers.
Embezzlement is when a person steals or misuses funds or property entrusted to them by their employer or organization. It is the most common white-collar crime in the United States. Embezzlement can be charged as either a misdemeanor or a felony, and the punishments for this crime can include fines, restitution, jail time, or a prison sentence.
Tax evasion occurs when individuals use any manner of attempts to illegally avoid paying their owed personal or business taxes. Individuals cannot lie or leave out information to result in a misstatement, nor can they devise any sort of plan to get out of paying funds due to the state. This essentially means that you can commit tax evasion by filling out forms “incorrectly” on purpose and benefiting from the mistake. The consequences of tax evasion vary depending on the situation but generally begin as a misdemeanor with up to one year in jail.
Money laundering, a common crime in the drug trade, occurs when someone hides money that was made through illegal means. This can be a very serious crime, especially if the crime involves a bank. Banks are required to keep records of any currency where money laundering is suspected. They also must file a report of the suspected crime to federal authorities. Because money laundering cases are often prosecuted at the federal level, these crimes can carry hefty punishments, sometimes with up to 20 years in prison.
Fraud encompasses a wide variety of white-collar crimes. One common yet sophisticated means of fraud is securities fraud. This is also known as stock or investment fraud, and it refers to when an individual or organization deceives investors. This process typically involves the purchase or sale by investors, made on the basis of knowingly false information. This practice is a violation of securities laws. Security fraud can also refer to a variety of other crimes including theft from investors, stock manipulation, lying about a public company's finances, and lying to corporate auditors. Securities fraud often involves illegal acts on the trading floor of a stock or commodity exchange. Under federal law, securities fraud is a Class C felony, punishable by up to 20 years in prison and millions of dollars in fines.
Identity fraud, or identity theft, occurs when a person obtains someone else’s identity deliberately. Individuals typically do this to achieve some sort of financial advantage, such as credit. In these cases, victims do not give consent to have their identity used and some victims are deceased persons. Identity fraud can also include using someone else’s identity in order to commit crimes. Identity theft is a felony that can be punishable by up to 10 years in jail and/or a fine of $100,000.
Anything that is meant to defraud the insurance process is considered insurance fraud. Commonly committed by licensed or accredited professionals like doctors, lawyers, chiropractors, etc., this crime occurs when someone filing a claim is seeking some sort of benefit that they are not entitled to. Alternatively, it could also mean that an insurer has knowingly denied a benefit that someone is entitled to.
Most people caught up in white-collar crimes have no idea what they could be up against in federal court. This is why it’s so important to turn to Mr. Lowther and Mr. Walker from Lowther Walker, LLC for representation in white-collar crime matters.