Most Common Types of White Collar Crime (Part 3)
White collar crimes are defined as nonviolent crimes that are committed for monetary benefit. White collar crime is an umbrella term in the Minnesota penal law that encompasses a wide range of financial violations. If you are charged with a white collar crime, here is some information about the most common types of white collar crime and the types of offenses for which you will require skilled legal counsel to defend your case: Federal Defense Lawyer Minneapolis MN
Tax Fraud
Tax fraud occurs when individuals or businesses purposefully underpay or fail to pay the amount of taxes they owe. The government can pursue tax evasion cases either civilly or criminally, but federal prosecutors are also not afraid to charge anyone they suspect of tax fraud with criminal charges. However, simply failing to file a tax return does not constitute tax evasion, even if the failure to do so was intentional. Tax fraud is the purposeful and intentional falsification of information on a tax return in order to reduce the amount of tax liability.
Extortion
Extortion happens when someone threatens to commit violence, accuses the victim of a crime, or reveals private or damaging information about the victim in order to obtain money or property from them. Extortion was traditionally solely a felony committed by public or government officials, but it is now considered to be a crime when committed by private citizens as well. Extortion occurs when someone makes a threat with the goal of forcing someone else to give them money, property, or something else of worth.
Mail Fraud
Mail fraud is characterized as the use of the United States Postal Service in any unlawful attempt to obtain money or valuables. Regardless of whether the initial crime is tax fraud, insurance fraud, or any other types of white collar crimes, one can receive penalties if found guilty of mail fraud in addition to the penalties given for other crimes that have been committed as well. By using the postal service or another private or commercial interstate carrier to commit a crime, the crime is elevated to the level of mail fraud and is thus subject to more severe penalties if found guilty. This could include a separate federal prosecution for crimes that would normally only fall under state jurisdiction.
If you’ve been charged with a white collar crime, you should contact an experienced criminal defense attorney in Minneapolis MN, such as Lauren Campoli, to assist you with your case.