White Collar Crimes: What Makes Them Unique?

What makes white collar crimes different from other crimes? These crimes are different in that they are normally non-violent crimes which mainly involve money or fraud. They normally are committed by someone of respectability and of high social status at some time while he or she is working in a specific occupation.

The term white collar crime was coined by Professor Edwin Hardin Sutherland dating back to 1939 where he proposed the theory that white collar criminals had different motives and characteristics than the more typical street or "blue collar "criminals.

Many white collar crime offenders are executives, CEOs, accountants, managers or other higher level employees in some particular business or industry; many corporate crimes also come under the category of white collar crimes. Blue collar crimes were the more typical street crimes like theft, assault, rape, arson, burglary and so forth. White collar criminals were seen to be opportunists who learned how to take advantage of their positions and circumstances to acquire financial wealth, though illegally.

Types of White Collar Crimes

There is a wide variety of crimes that fall in this category, some of the more common ones include:

• Embezzlement
• Fraud
• Forgery
• Bribery
• Falsifying Business Records
• Money laundering
• Computer crime
• Copyright infringement
• Identity Theft

Actions to Take

If you have been charged with a white collar crime in the New York area, you need to seek advice from a competent New York white collar crimes attorney as soon as possible. Not only could you be facing imprisonment and heavy monetary fines if convicted, but loss of status and respect in your profession and in society.

At the Law Offices of Hochheiser & Hochheiser, LLP, we specialize in criminal defense and are experienced with white collar crimes. Our lead attorney, Lawrence Hochheiser has been listed as one of New York's "Best Lawyers" in the years 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 issues of New York Magazine. We focus on giving personalized attention to each case which increases your chances of a positive outcome. Your freedom is important to us.

Contact a White Collar Crimes Lawyer in our office for a free consultation today.