Nicholas C. Rowley handles all types of theft crimes, including embezzlement, credit card / insurance fraud, grand theft, petty theft, and most " white collar" crimes. Our objectives often will include obtaining for you a "civil compromise" that would allow you to protect your record, save money, and stay out of jail.

WHITE COLLAR CRIMES

The term "white collar crime," generally refers to non-violent crimes involving business people and professionals who profit financially through the use of deception. Common types of white collar crimes are as follows:

Antitrust Violations: Antitrust violations include price fixing, creating monopolies, mergers and acquisitions that restrict or substantially lessen competition and restraint of trade.

Bankruptcy Fraud: Bankruptcy fraud can be committed by individuals and/or corporations who purposely conceal assets or mislead creditors.

Bribery: Bribery is the offer of money, goods, services, information or anything else of value, which is presented with the intent of influencing the actions, opinions, or decisions of the taker.

Computer/Internet Fraud: Computer and Internet fraud includes using or applying for credit cards online under false names, unauthorized use of a computer, manipulation of a computer's files and computer sabotage.

Credit Card Fraud: Credit card fraud is the unauthorized use of a credit card to obtain merchandise.

Counterfeiting: Counterfeiting occurs when someone copies or imitates an item without having been authorized to do so and passes the copy off for the genuine or original item.

Economic Espionage: Economic Espionage involves the theft or misappropriation of proprietary economic information (trade secret) from an individual, a business, or an industry.

Embezzlement: Embezzlement occurs when someone who has been entrusted with money or property appropriates it for their own use and benefit.

Environmental Law Violations: Environment law violations include the discharge of a toxic substance into the air, water, or soil which poses a significant threat of harm to people, property, or the environment, including air pollution, water pollution, and illegal dumping, in violation of federal environmental law.

Extortion: Extortion is defined as "forcing a person to give up property through the use of violence, fear or under pretense of authority".

Financial Fraud: Financial fraud involves fraud or embezzlement occurring within or against financial institutions that are insured or regulated by the U.S. Government. Financial fraud includes commercial loan fraud, check fraud, counterfeit negotiable instruments, mortgage fraud, check kiting and false applications.

Forgery: Forgery is defined as the "making or altering of a false writing with intent to defraud".

Government Fraud: Fraud against the government may consist of fraud in connection with federal government contracting and fraud in connection with federal and/or federally funded entitlement programs, including public housing, agricultural programs, defense procurement fraud, educational programs, and corporate frauds.

Healthcare Fraud: Healthcare fraud includes kickbacks, billing for services not rendered, billing for unnecessary equipment, and billing for services performed by a lesser qualified person.

Insider Trading: Insider trading is trading that takes place when those privileged with confidential information about important events use the special advantage of that knowledge to reap profits or avoid losses on the stock market.

Insurance Fraud: Insurance fraud includes a variety of fraudulent activities committed by applicants for insurance, policyholders, third-party claimants, or professionals who provide insurance services to claimants. Such fraudulent activities include inflating or "padding" actual claims and fraudulent inducements to issue policies and/or establish a lower premium rate.

Kickbacks: Kickbacks refer to the return of a certain amount of money from seller to buyer as a result of a collusive agreement.

Larceny: Larceny is the "taking and carrying away of tangible personal property of another by trespass with intent to permanently (or for an unreasonable time) deprive the person of his interest in the property". Larceny must involve personal property, and it must be capable of being possessed, and carried away.

Mail Fraud: Mail fraud occurs when the U.S. Mail is used in furtherance of a criminal act.

Money Laundering: Money laundering is a process or series of actions through which income of illegal origin is concealed, disguised or made to appear legitimate to evade detection, prosecution, seizure and taxation

Public Corruption: Public corruption involves a breach of public trust and/or abuse of position by federal, state, or local officials and their private sector accomplices.

Perjury: Perjury is the "willful and corrupt taking of a false oath in regard to a material matter in a judicial proceeding"

Securities Fraud: Securities fraud includes theft from manipulation of the market, theft from securities accounts, and wire fraud.

Tax Evasion: Tax evasion is fraud committed by filing false tax returns, or not filing tax returns at all.

Telemarketing Fraud: Telemarketing fraud is any scheme to defraud in which the perpetrators use the telephone as the primary means of communicating with the potential victims of the scheme.

If you are accused of a white collar crime, you may find yourself being prosecuted in federal court, and going up against agencies such as U.S. Customs, the Secret Service, the Internal Revenue Service, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Environmental Protection Agency or the Securities and Exchange Commission. At Nicholas C. Rowley, we have the aggressiveness, knowledge and strategic talent to present a successful defense at the trial of your white collar criminal case, or to leverage and negotiate a reasonable settlement with the government (if not an outright dismissal of your investigation) that is acceptable to you and that would allow you to move on with your life before you even get into the courthouse.

Remember, our goal will always be to protect your professional livelihood and integrity in addition to defending your criminal case. Your professional license to practice (for example, as a medical provider, a lawyer, therapist, real estate broker, certified public accountant, etc.) may be in severe jeopardy and its loss will effectively stop your career. One of the most unjust aspects of white collar charges is that courts sometimes will suspend or restrict the accused's professional license while the criminal case is pending, merely upon the filing of charges, regardless of the outcome of your so-called "licensing hearing" (even if you are innocent and the case ultimately is resolved through a dismissal!) Don't put your livelihood and hard-earned reputation as a professional at risk. When dealing with white collar crimes, Nicholas C. Rowley at all times remains intensely aggressive about protecting your professional licensing status in addition to your record and your freedom.

White collar crimes often are chargeable as felonies (in addition to misdemeanors), and sentence penalties can involve major fines (plus restitution of stolen monies to the victim), a significant jailterm, and prison time. Normally, the earlier we can begin the negotiation process with the enforcing government agency, the more effective results we can achieve. The possibility of offering restitution to the alleged victim is often a major factor in such negotiations, but the opportunity to use the leverage of restitution generally diminishes as time passes and brings you closer to the actual filing of criminal charges. You want a quick, peaceful and innovative solution to make the potential charges go away, and our goal is to bring you one as early as possible. Call us immediately at (310) 651-1712 or contact us online.