White-collar criminal charges are a complex and evolving area of the law. “White-collar crime” is an odd category – it normally refers to crimes by people who are slightly more affluent – those who wear a “white collar” to work.

At The Kaiser Law Firm PLLC we have experience with many kinds of white-collar cases. We’ve represented people charged with mail and wire fraud, securities fraud, commodity trading offenses, export control offenses, mortgage fraud, criminal copyright violations, health care fraud, tax crimes, immigration fraud, real estate fraud, federal employee fraud, and federal contractor fraud.

The profile of a person charged with a crime in the United States has changed. Many more middle-class and affluent Americans are being accused of white-collar crimes.

The Stakes in a White Collar Criminal Case

These cases are serious. Prosecutors seek significant prison time for white-collar crimes. The federal sentencing guidelines often call for massive sentences for people who are convicted of federal criminal charges.

It may have been that in a white-collar criminal case a person could expect a sentence of probation. Those days are long past – especially in federal court. Now prison sentences are routine, and significant sentences are not surprising.

The Most Frequent Issue in a White Collar Criminal Case

Often, the most important issue in a white-collar case is what the person who was involved in the case was thinking at important moments in the case – that is to say, these cases turn, often, on what the person’s intent was. If their intent was to do lie or deceive, the case can be worse. But, at the same times, everyone makes mistakes. Often in a white-collar case, if you can prove that what happened was a mistake it can be the best defense available.

Being charged with a white-collar crime is a terrifying thing. Your future, your family, and your reputation are all in jeopardy. Many people charged with a white-collar crime go through something like the stages of grief – they find themselves angry and depressed. Sometimes folks in this situation try to ignore their situation in hopes that it will go away while they aren’t paying attention. Unfortunately, this approach rarely works.

Our Approach to White Collar Criminal Defense

We take a proactive and aggressive approach to these cases. We work closely with our clients so they understand what’s happening, why we’re doing what we’re doing, and what’s likely to happen next.

Some lawyers think that their client’s case is really the lawyers – that the lawyer should call the shots and the client should fall in line.

That’s not our approach. We want to have a collaborative relationship with our clients. We’re mindful that our client’s case is, chiefly, our client’s. We work with our clients to make sure they understand what’s happening, what our options are, and what the consequences and risks of the decisions we make are likely to be.

Changes in White Collar Crimes

Congress has been aggressive in creating new federal crimes. Each time it does, a member of Congress can go home and tell his or her constituents that he or she is tough on crime. This means that the number of federal criminal charges has ballooned in recent years.