An Oklahoma white collar crime defense lawyer is a legal professional who defends those accused of financial crimes such as fraud, embezzlement, money laundering, tax fraud and tax evasion, bribery, corruption, cybercrime, extortion, and racketeering. The best white collar crime defense attorneys have a deep understanding of financial regulations, business practices, regulatory frameworks and the complex legal proceedings associated with offenses that are financial in nature. The white collar crime attorneys at Phillips & Associates offer a transparent fee structure to ensure a reasonable cost for defense services. These services include managing cases from the investigation phase through to their final resolution. Our attorneys respond to subpoenas, government inquiries, and pre-charge investigations as well as evaluating evidence such as financial statements, emails, contracts, and transaction histories. This evidence is used to create a defense strategy that identifies gaps or inconsistencies in the prosecution's case and challenges whether the conduct of the defendant meets the legal definition of a crime.
A white collar crime attorney addresses consequences beyond conviction because these types of charges carry collateral risks such as professional license loss, reputational harm, and financial penalties. Lawyers negotiate dismissals, charge reductions, or alternative resolutions when possible. These alternatives may include restitution, diversion programs, or deferred prosecution.
White Collar Crime Charges We Defend in Oklahoma
The criminal defense lawyers at Phillips & Associates of Oklahoma City defend clients accused white collar crimes such as fraud, embezzlement, money laundering, bribery, corruption, cybercrimes, tax evasion, extortion, and racketeering. The criminal charges we fight on behalf of our clients are listed below.
- Fraud: The defense attorneys at Phillips & Associates have extensive experience handling cases involving fraud such as tax, bank, investment, healthcare (Medicare & Medicaid), credit card, and mortgage fraud.
- Embezzlement: a financial crime in which a person who is lawfully entrusted with money or property intentionally misappropriates it for personal use. Embezzlement involves asset misappropriation, a violation of trust, and can result in imprisonment.
- Money Laundering: a financial crime in which a person conceals the source of illegally obtained money by moving it through transactions to make it appear as though it was obtained legitimately.
- Bribery & Corruption: illegally influencing public or private sector officials by offering money, services, or other items of value.
- Cybercrime: unlawful activity carried out using computers, networks, or digital systems to access data, disrupt operations, or obtain money or information without authorization. Cybercrimes include hacking, identity theft, malware, or software piracy.
- Tax evasion: evading the payment of legally due taxes such as income tax, payroll tax, and sales tax.
- Extortion & racketeering charges: the act of obtaining money, property, or something of value from another person by using threats, coercion, or fear. Extortion includes blackmail, physical threats, economic threats, or union-related threats.
Speak to a criminal justice attorney at Phillips & Associates for experienced legal defense if you are facing allegations of white collar crime.
Punishment for White Collar Crimes in Oklahoma
The punishments for being convicted of a white collar crime in Oklahoma include imprisonment, paying restitution to the victim, probation, fines, home confinement, loss of property or assets, payment of prosecution costs, and a permanent criminal record. The specific penalties imposed by a judge depend on the allegations, the amount of money involved, the criminal history of the defendant, and other circumstances of the case.
The most common punishments for those convicted of a white collar crime in Oklahoma are listed below.
- Prison time
- Restitution payments
- Probation
- Criminal fines
- Confinement to one's home
- Forfeiture of assets
- Payment of prosecution costs
Prosecutors in Oklahoma pursue aggressive punishments for those who commit white collar crimes because the offenses can involve fraud, deception, financial harm, or the abuse of a position of trust. Generally speaking, the severity of the punishment increases as the financial losses suffered by the victim or victims increase.
It is crucial to hire an experienced defense attorney who understands these complex charges because a conviction often results in large fines, incarceration, and long-term damage to a person's reputation and career.
Our Reviews
Choosing Phillips & Associates white collar crime attorneys offers numerous benefits for those charged with crimes such as fraud, embezzlement, money laundering, bribery, corruption, cybercrime, or extortion. Example of the criminal defense law firm's Google Reviews are presented below.
What Are White Collar Crimes?
The term “white collar crime” encompasses a great number of misdemeanor and felony offenses ranging from passing bad checks to investment fraud, from skimming off the till to multi-million dollar schemes. Essentially, a white collar crime is any financially-motivated nonviolent crime intended to illegally gain profit for the perpetrator of the crime. Schemes involve making false representations in order to obtain cash or undeserved benefits and tax breaks. Embezzlement schemes are the misappropriation for personal use of funds or property to which a person is entrusted.
White collar crimes make the news in multi-million dollar schemes like the Bernie Madoff case or in celebrity tax evasion cases like those involving Willie Nelson, Martha Stewart, and Wesley Snipes. However, more frequently, these crimes are much more innocuous and conducted on a smaller scale. Motivation for a white collar offense can be as simple as greed, but often, these crimes are perpetrated by people who find themselves in a tight financial situation and are looking for a quick way out. A gambling problem, addiction, debt, and facing bankruptcy or foreclosure are frequently causes of embezzlement or fraud.
