A Gulfport white collar crime attorney can review the circumstances of your charges and build a strategy to defend your case aggressively. Contact a lawyer with Smith & Holder, PLLC, to discuss the facts of your case with a member of our team.
Types of White Collar Crimes
People often think of high-profile Ponzi schemes and insider trading as the common types of white collar crimes. While federal securities crimes represent a portion of white collar crimes, Mississippi outlines white collar offenses at the state level.
A Gulfport white collar crime lawyer can defend you against multiple charges, some of which are outlined below. If you want more information about Gulfport white collar crimes, an experienced criminal defense lawyer can answer your questions.
Embezzlement
Embezzlement occurs when an individual fraudulently conceals, secretes, or converts to their own use any goods, rights of action, money, or other property they were entrusted with by virtue of their office, position, place, or employment. This means the accused stole money or property they had lawful access to due to their position.
Embezzling property worth less than $1,000 is considered a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. Embezzlement of property worth more than $1,000 but more than $5,000 is considered a felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000. Embezzlement of property worth more than $5,000 but more than $25,000 is considered a felony punishable by up to ten years in prison and a fine of up to $25,000. Embezzling property worth more than $25,000 is considered a felony punishable by up to twenty years in prison and a fine of up to $25,000.
Obtaining a Signature with Intent to Defraud
In Mississippi, it is considered a crime to designedly, by color of any false token or writing, or by any other false pretense, obtain the signature of any person to any written instrument, or obtain from any person any money, personal property, or valuable thing, with intent to cheat or defraud another person. For example, consider that someone obtains the victim’s signature on a property deed by falsely representing the deed as a birthday card. The deed transfers the real property to the accused with the victim’s signature. The accused can face charges for obtaining a signature or thing of value with intent to defraud for using false pretenses to obtain the victim’s signature.
If the value is less than $500, this crime is considered a misdemeanor and is punishable by up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. If the value is more than $500, the crime is considered a felony and is punishable by up to ten years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
False Impersonation to Receive Money or Property
Mississippi considers it a crime to falsely represent or impersonate another person to receive money or valuable property on their behalf. False impersonation is punishable to the same extent and in the same manner as stealing the property or funds they received.
Computer Fraud
Computer fraud is defined as accessing or causing to be accessed any computer, computer system, computer network, or any part thereof with the intent to:
- Defraud;
- Obtain money, property, or services by using false or fraudulent conduct, practices, or representations; or through false or fraudulent alteration, deletion, or insertion of programs or data;
- Insert or attach or knowingly create the opportunity for an unknowing and unwanted insertion or attachment of a set of instructions or a computer program into a computer program, computer, computer system, or computer network that is intended to acquire, alter, damage, delete, disrupt, or destroy property or otherwise use the services of a computer program, computer, computer system or computer network.
The penalties for computer fraud depend on the value of the damage or loss in the attack. Computer fraud valued at less than $1,000 is punishable by up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. Computer fraud valued at more than $1,000 but less than $5,000 is punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
Identity Theft
Mississippi prohibits anyone from obtaining or attempting to obtain personal identity information of another person with the intent to unlawfully use that information to:
- Obtain financial credit;
- Purchase or lease real or personal property;
- Obtain employment;
- Obtain access to medical records or information; or
- Commit any illegal act.
Identity theft is punishable by between two to fifteen years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
Contact a Gulfport White Collar Crime Attorney at Smith & Holder, PLLC, Today
A white collar crime conviction can lead to irreparable harm to your reputation and criminal penalties like jail time and fines. Your white collar crime attorney in Gulfport can review the details of your case and determine whether a legal defense applies. Our team will present proof of the legal defense to demonstrate your innocence and convince the prosecutor to dismiss or reduce your charges.
A white collar crime lawyer in Gulfport at Smith & Holder, PLLC, can help whether you are facing charges in state or federal court. Our attorneys are aggressive, strategic advocates who pursue every opportunity to protect our clients from a conviction. As a former prosecutor, Attorney Chris Smith prosecuted felony cases in state court and knows the tactics the state uses to prove their cases. He uses this internal knowledge to secure the best outcome possible for his clients.
Contact an attorney at Smith & Holder, PLLC, so we can start reviewing your case.
