Embezzlement

Have you been accused of embezzlement, which is the taking of money from an employer or a company that you work for in a position of trust?

If so, you could be facing serious charges and you’ll need to seek the advice of a criminal defense attorney who is well-versed in white collar crimes in New Hampshire.

Embezzlement is a term that can mean a number of things, so it may be confusing if you are arrested on these charges.

The legal definition of embezzlement is, according to the Legal Information Institute at Cornell Law School, the “fraudulent taking of personal property by someone to whom it was entrusted.” The embezzlement occurs whether or not the person kept the property or passed it on to someone else.

There are many forms this crime can take, including skimming money from a company; underreporting money and keeping the difference; creating fake employees and creating a payroll account for them; Ponzi schemes involving fraudulent investments on behalf of customers; and corporate kiting. This can include real property or financial assets such as stocks and bonds.

This crime is different than larceny, which involves taking property or money from a victim. For embezzlement to occur, the suspect has to legally possess the property or cash and convert it to his or her own use.

In New Hampshire, embezzlement is a felony.

It’s quite complicated so if you are accused of embezzlement it’s imperative that you hire a highly qualified criminal defense lawyer like Michael Anzalone to represent you as your case heads to court.

Michael Anzalone understands the state and federal laws involved in an embezzlement charge.

If you are convicted you could face fines of between $100,000 and $250,000, depending on the circumstances involved in your specific case. This charge also carries a significant prison term of five to seven years.

How can you fight these charges? Your defense attorney will explain the good-faith defense. Maybe in your case, what happened was a common practice. This means that perhaps you believed you were entitled to these things “in good faith.” And this is a defense tactic that your lawyer may decide to use.

There are many warning signs in an embezzlement case. Maybe in your case customers started complaining about duplicate billings. Perhaps there were missing bank deposits or a number of outstanding bills. Or it could be discrepancies in accounts payable or accounts receivable. It could even be something such as suspicious payments or suspicious billings. Embezzlement in simple terms is an attempt to cover tracks by recording fake records.

These are serious charges. Do not attempt to fight these charges on your own. You need expert legal help when you go before a judge.

A felony conviction can wreck your life. In addition to the fines and possible prison sentence, you could also lose your job, your reputation and even personal relationships.

At The Anzalone Law Firm, we’re here to help you get your life back on track. Fill out our online form for a free consultation with criminal defense attorney Michael Anzalone.