Cecil County Embezzlement Lawyer
Embezzlement is a white-collar crime that involves using a position of trust or power to obtain someone else’s property after they have handed it over for management or investment.
In Cecil County, the penalties for embezzlement are significant, and the long-term repercussions of having an embezzlement conviction on your criminal background could be severe.
There are defenses to an accusation of embezzlement a Cecil County embezzlement lawyer could be familiar with. An experienced theft attorney could help you raise defenses to the criminal accusations you are facing.
What is Embezzlement?
As an attorney could further explain, embezzlement is a form of theft in Cecil County. Because it is a financial crime and does not involve an element of violence, it also falls into the category of white-collar crimes.
Embezzlement involves the use of a position of trust or power to obtain someone else’s money after it was entrusted to the defendant. Financial advisors with access to their client’s funds and with instructions to invest that money could be charged with embezzlement if they use their power to redirect their clients’ money into the advisor’s personal accounts.
Not all allegations of embezzlement involve hundreds of thousands of dollars. Cashiers with access to their employer’s cash registers could face embezzlement charges for pocketing some of the money they were supposed to manage.
Direct and Collateral Consequences of an Embezzlement Conviction
In many cases, the penalties of an embezzlement case could come even before a conviction. Employees accused of embezzling funds from their employer could lose their jobs as soon as the charge is filed. If the employee had a professional license that expected upstanding behavior, that license could be suspended while the criminal investigation is pending and is usually revoked if the case ends with a conviction.
Without the necessary professional license to make a living and with a conviction for embezzlement in someone’s criminal history, reentering the workforce after the penalties of the conviction could be difficult.
An embezzlement conviction could also lead to steep fines and even jail time for offenses involving large amounts of money. An embezzlement attorney in Cecil County could convince the court that jail time is unnecessary. Attorneys could point out the non-violent nature of the offense, and urge the court to shift the confinement into probation.
Many embezzlement convictions require the defendant to pay back the money they allegedly took. These payments of restitution could be crippling since the amount is often very high. The defendant’s ability to earn the income necessary to pay them could be hampered by the blemish on their criminal background.
Defending Against an Embezzlement Charge
There are several defenses that could be raised to combat an embezzlement charge. Some aim to get the charge dismissed or score an acquittal. Others aim to mitigate the damage of a conviction. A Cecil County attorney could help to plan an effective embezzlement defense.
No Intent to Commit the Crime
Prosecutors have to show that the defendant intended to commit the crime, or knowingly took steps towards its execution. Mistakes, math errors, or misunderstandings do not rise to this level of culpability.
Mistaken Identity
Proving that the embezzlement was committed by someone else – or that there was at a minimum a reasonable doubt about who did the deed – could be an effective defense when the property that was embezzled was handled by several people.
Property Value
Because the penalties of an embezzlement conviction depend on the value of the property, successfully challenging how much was embezzled could mitigate the severity of the charges and reduce the possible penalties.
Consult with a Cecil County Embezzlement Attorney
The penalties of an embezzlement conviction are severe, and the professional ramifications of even an accusation of embezzling funds can doom your career. Vigorously defending against the charge and proving your innocence could be a necessary first step towards overcoming this terrible ordeal and moving on with your life.
A Cecil County embezzlement lawyer could help. By learning about your case and what happened, an embezzlement attorney could determine which line of defense is most likely to succeed, invoke your rights, and challenge the prosecutor’s case against you. Contact an attorney for the legal help you need.