Cases involving white collar crime are oftentimes complex and involve dynamic investigations and extensive evidence compilation. From financial documents and phone records to computer data and the testimony of close friends or business colleagues, no part of your life is left unturned with this intensive legal process.
A skilled Los Angeles white collar crime attorney will aggressively advocate to protect your personal interests, uphold your rights, and work with the court to reduce your sentence. Speak with Mariya Melkonyan about your case, today.
This comprehensive guide explores many facets of the white collar crimes legal process and examines the ways a seasoned white collar crimes defense attorney can work with you to reduce your charges.
The term “white collar crime” was first coined in 1939 to describe a wide range of fraudulent criminal activities. The term typically refers to nonviolent offenses associated with “white collar” professions, like accountants or business consultants. White-collar crime usually involves fraudulent activities aimed at hiding monetary gains or losses and other financial indiscretions.
White-collar crimes are typically investigated by multiple federal agencies, including the FBI, SEC, and IRS.
These cases usually involve extensive evidence collection with federal and state agencies combing through many years’ worth of financial statements, phone records, and other banking documents.
These agencies use various tactics to gather the information needed to incriminate the target of the investigation.
The Law Offices of Mariya Melkonyan provide legal services for anyone in need of experienced white collar crime attorney services. Call for a free case review today: 424-901-3131
Informants, like trusted business colleagues, or friends, may be used to get close to the targeted individual. Other times, the target may be questioned directly as part of an undefined investigation and be fully unaware that they, themselves, are the alleged suspect in question.
Street crimes and white collar crimes are broad terms used to define two very different types of criminal activity. Street crime is a term that refers to criminal offenses that take place in public spaces. Street crimes often involve violent acts while white-collar crimes are typically non-violent in nature.
Robbing someone’s purse while they walk along a public street would be an example of street crime while a large-scale operation focused on defrauding investors would fall under the realm of white-collar criminal activity.
Violence is the main difference that distinguishes a street crime from a white-collar crime. Examples of street crime include pickpocketing, assault, petty theft, vandalism, and selling or using illicit drugs. Many people mistakenly believe that white-collar crimes have lower sentences and penalties than street crimes because they are not violent in nature.
The truth, however, is that white collar criminal sentences can be just as life-shattering as street crime convictions. Contact one of the best white collar crime attorney firms in Los Angeles, The Law Offices of Mariya Melkonyan to build your defense strategy.
Unlike street crimes, white-collar crimes do not usually involve violent acts. Instead, white-collar crimes are typically complex in nature and involve acts of fraud that are rooted in financial misconduct. Hiring an experienced Los Angeles white-collar crime attorney like Mariya Melkonyan can make a huge difference in the outcome of a case. Here are a few white-collar crime examples:
Any illegal alteration made to a company’s financial documents with the purpose of manipulating the company’s health, such as inflating revenue, failing to record assets, or reporting liabilities would be examples of accounting fraud.
Former American stockbroker, Bernie Madoff, orchestrated the largest accounting fraud scheme in history. Using a complex Ponzi Scheme, Madoff defrauded investors out of over $64.8 billion. A Ponzi scheme refers to an investment scam that promises investors extremely high returns, but the initial investors are paid returns funded by new investors.
Once the scammer is unable to secure new investors to pay their existing ones, the scheme implodes, leaving the scheme’s victims with devastating financial losses.
Not all white collar crimes are prosecuted at the federal level. In fact, many of these investigations and cases are handled by state prosecutors. White collar crimes are incredibly nuanced.
These cases often require state agencies to have extensive resources if they wish to bring these cases to trial. However, not all state agencies can afford the financial undertaking of prosecuting complex white-collar crime.
Cases involving substantial monetary losses will often involve federal investigation and prosecution if federal law has been violated. Many white-collar crimes can be tried at either the state or federal level. Cases involving bank fraud, federal income tax fraud, or bribery of federal officials, however, are traditionally prosecuted in federal court.
Different federal and state-level punishments exist for the various types of white-collar crimes. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, white-collar crime costs the United States upwards of $300 billion each year. White collar criminal indictments usually involve individuals, but the government reserves the right to sanction corporations for these unlawful activities too.
Examples of white-collar crime punishments include:
Federal sentencing guidelines suggest harsher sentences if at least one victim has suffered substantial financial harm. There are many variables involved in white collar crime cases, so it is important to have a skilled and aggressive white collar defense attorney by your side to facilitate a lessened sentence.
Oftentimes, these criminal sanctions can be lessened if the defendant takes responsibility for the committed crimes and cooperates with the authorities’ investigation. It is imperative that you have knowledgeable legal counsel by your side to ensure your interests are protected and your rights are upheld during this process.
On a state level, California Penal Code Section 186.11 grants aggravated white-collar crime sentencing options to judges. Under the law, judges may add an additional two to five years to your prison sentence if two scenarios apply to your case:
AND
Furthermore, your sentence may be determined by the amount of money an alleged victim lost. If the alleged victim lost more than $100,000 as a result of the white-collar crime, the sentencing enhancement will be served in addition to the convicted defendant’s initial sentence. These sentencing terms will be served consecutively.
In the state of California, white-collar crimes can include either misdemeanor or felony charges. These criminal cases often involve exhaustive investigations performed by state and/or federal agencies. If convicted, penalties may range from fines and house confinement to extensive prison sentences and hefty restitution or forfeiture costs.
An experienced white collar crime attorney, like Mariya Melkonyan can help create a defense strategy for your case and prevent steep financial penalties and other losses to damage to your professional reputation. No part of your life is unaffected if you are convicted of a white-collar crime.
White-collar criminal charges can be the result of unintentional oversights or blatant disregard for the law. Regardless of the circumstances of your unique case, you deserve a dedicated and tenacious white-collar crime defense attorney from Melkonyan Law.
Mariya Melkonyan is a Los Angeles top white collar crime attorney with 13 years of experience. Confidently build a solid defense for your case, contact her office today. Though white-collar crime charges may seem daunting, there is every reason to fight for the best possible outcome.
Other Criminal Defense Services from The Law Offices of Mariya Melkonyan
During your free initial consultation, you will speak directly with Mariya Melkonyan, an experienced white collar crime attorney in Los Angeles. She will listen to you as you explain the facts of your case, getting a clear overview of your situation.
Your attorney will then explain the process, letting you know what will be expected of you and the support and services they will offer.
Your attorney will then guide you on how to proceed and begin collecting potential witness details to support your case and evidence for preservation, proper representation, and preparation.
Finally, they will explain our fees, take you through our retainer form, and answer any queries you have.
To give your attorney a clear view of your case, you must provide them with as many details and as much evidence about your case as possible. This may include documentation, videos, audio files, witness names, time logs on any information related to the case for review.
The more details and evidence you can provide, the better case your attorney can build right from the start.
Some clients are concerned about revealing too much to a lawyer in an initial consultation, but your meetings with an attorney are confidential and protected by client/attorney privilege.
After your initial consultation, we’ll be able to determine a retainer fee and discuss payment options. In most cases, the retainer feee payments are divided into two parts; the first is typically payable upfront.
There are various options for paying your retainer fee, including cash, check, or card.
There is no one-size-fits-all cost for when it comes to working with a white collar crime attorney to help you defend your criminal case. The fee depends on the charges against you and the details of your specific case.
As a rule, open misdemeanor cases tend to be charged at a lower fee than open felony cases. Post-conviction legal services, such as expungement of criminal records, are usually even less expensive.
The final fee depends on the complexity of your case. During your consultation, the attorney will discuss the fees with you. The more details you can give about your case, the more accurate expectations your attorney can set.
White collar crime cases can be very serious, extremely stressful, and overwhelming. That’s why it’s important to hire an experienced white collar crime attorney to help you if you’ve been charged with a white collar crime. At The Law Offices of Mariya Melkonyan, we always have our client’s best interest at heart. From the moment you contact us for a consultation, we start planning solid defenses for your case.
Most clients feel ashamed, frustrated, and angry after being charged with a crime, especially a white collar crime. Our legal team is here to reiterate that you, as a citizen, have basic rights, one of which is to hire an attorney. Before you speak to authorities, remember that you do not have to answer any questions without a lawyer present. Mariya Melkonyan is a 13-year expert white collar attorney with extensive trial jury case experience. She has tirelessly fought countless felonies and misdemeanors and can apply those same skill sets in your case.