Trust In A Proven White Collar Criminal Defense Firm

Rogers Sevastianos & Bante LLP provides top-notch defense against white collar crime charges including fraud, embezzlement and forgery. The term “white collar crime” encompasses a wide range of criminal conduct. Typically, white collar crimes are nonviolent crimes committed in a business or professional setting for purely financial gain. The type of conduct associated is often broadly defined, and many allegations of these kinds of offenses are unsubstantiated.

Individuals accused of white collar crimes rarely set out to break the law. Confusion regarding legalities, panic regarding cash flow and a “slippery slope” to more serious legal infractions often form the background to many white collar criminal cases.

If you have been accused of a white collar crime in Missouri or Illinois, the St. Louis white collar crime defense lawyers of Rogers Sevastianos & Bante LLP are here to protect your rights. We have handled hundreds of white collar crimes and will work diligently to obtain the best possible outcome for your situation. Contact our offices today to schedule your free consultation or call 314-884-8991 to make an appointment.

100-plus Years Of Combined Experience Defending White Collar Crime Charges

White collar crimes are typically committed by business professionals that get caught up in situations that eventually become too difficult to control. But the reality is that white collar crimes, even though they may seem more minor than violent crimes, can come with serious, life-altering consequences.

Our attorneys understand how severe the impact of facing white collar crime charges can be and are here to help you protect your rights and achieve the most favorable outcome for your situation.

We specialize in defending clients against a variety of white collar criminal charges, including:

• Mail and wire fraud – Using the U.S. Postal Service or private mail carriers to defraud someone of money or property, while wire fraud involves using some form of electronic communication (phone, email, fax, etc.) in order to defraud someone.
• Bank and securities fraud – Misrepresentation of information that is committed by a stockbroker, broker firm or an investment bank for financial gain.
• Embezzlement – When a person, such as an accountant or bookkeeper, is entrusted with handling the finances of another person or a business and takes that money for their own personal use without permission.
• Tax fraud – When a person or business underpays or fails to pay their tax return based on annual earnings.
• Medicaid, Medicare and healthcare fraud – The act of submitting false claims to health care programs to illegally obtain financial gain.
• Check and credit card fraud – Stealing money via forged checks, bad checks, unauthorized use of credit cards or other unauthorized, illegal methods.
• Extortion – When a person illegally coerces another person into giving them property, money or other favors by threatening or acting upon violence.
• Money laundering – Attempting to transfer money from an illegitimate source to a legitimate source and disguise its origins.
• Identity theft – Stealing the personal information of another person through the mail or over the internet with the sole intent of assuming their identity for financial gain.

White Collar Crimes Can Result In Serious Legal Penalties And The End of Your Career

Because they can seem less serious than crimes involving violence or threats of violence, people who are accused of white collar crimes are surprised to learn that they are facing extreme, life-changing penalties including probation, fines, community service and even jail time. In addition, conviction of a white collar offense can often result in the loss of a professional license – which typically means the end of your career in that profession. As a result, the consequences of a conviction for a white collar criminal offense can far outlast any sanctions imposed by the court.

Fortunately, in many cases, there are defenses available in white collar criminal cases. Some of the more common include the following:

• Fourth Amendment violations – Most white collar criminal cases are the result of significant investigation on the part of authorities. If the way the investigation was conducted violated your constitutional rights in any way, it could result in the evidence gathered being deemed inadmissible in court.
• Entrapment – Entrapment occurs when a government official induces a person to commit a crime. In white collar cases, this often occurs when an undercover law enforcement agent contacts a person they suspect of being involved in a scheme and pressures them to engage in illegal conduct.
• Lack of intent – Many white collar offenses require that the defendant intended to violate the law, and sometimes investigations ensnare innocent people whose actions furthered a scheme without their knowledge. When this occurs, it may be possible to have a case dropped or to secure an acquittal should the case go to trial.

Answering Your Questions On White Collar Crime

What is embezzlement?

Embezzlement is a form of fraud and a white collar crime that occurs when someone intentionally misuses funds that were entrusted to them, breaching their fiduciary duties.

Typically, these funds are taken or used for personal purposes, rather than for the benefit of the business or organization. Embezzlement can result in serious criminal charges and civil penalties. For these reasons, it is highly advised that you have a capable attorney on your side to defend your case.

How do I beat identity theft charges?

There are several defenses to identity theft charges specifically, including:

• Lack of intent. In order to be found guilty, you must have deliberately used someone else’s identity. When you mistakenly use someone else’s credit card, for example, you may be found innocent.
• Mistaken identity. It is easier than you think for law enforcement to charge the wrong person in an identity theft case. A simple mix up in IP address can lead to charges against you versus the true perpetrator.
• Lack of evidence. In order to be convicted, you must be found guilty without a reasonable doubt. If the prosecution is lacking sufficient evidence against you, you may be able to avoid a serious conviction.
• Perhaps you did not intend to use someone else’s identity for financial gain, but someone else pressured or threatened you into doing so. If you can show that the threat was greater than the harm that was applied to your identity theft victim, you may be able to avoid charges.

Schedule A Free Consultation To Discuss Your Case

A key to successfully defending against white collar crime charges is to obtain all available facts, and to understand in advance what the government’s evidence is and how to counter it in court.

We can conduct a full investigation of your charges and draw on our knowledge of government evidence and tactics to put together the strongest possible defense. We have successfully handled one of the country’s largest Medicaid/Medicare fraud cases, along with hundreds of other white collar crime cases. For more information, please contact our firm online or call 314-884-8991 to get in touch with our attorneys. Free consultations are available.