Have you been charged with a white collar crime in San Antonio, TX? If so, you may be feeling frustrated and overwhelmed. White collar crimes often carry significant penalties, and you’re going to need a strong legal defense to get your charges reduced or eliminated altogether. 

Our San Antonio white collar crimes lawyers can help you. Backed by 100 years of combined experience, we can protect your rights and ensure that you are equipped to fight your charges. We’re here to provide you with the compassion and support you need to navigate the legal process. No matter what charges you are facing, we will stand by you.

Contact Barton & Associates Attorneys at Law at (210) 500 0000 to schedule a consultation.

How Barton & Associates Attorneys at Law Can Help You If You Were Arrested for a White Collar Crime in San Antonio, TX

If you have been arrested for a white collar crime in San Antonio, Texas, you need experienced legal representation. Cases involving white collar crimes are often complicated and require a nuanced understanding of the law to be handled effectively. Let our San Antonio criminal defense attorneys put our experience and resources to work for you.

Here’s what our lawyers can do to help you:

• We will listen to your story.
• We will review all the evidence from the criminal investigation in your case and gather additional evidence to strengthen your defense.
• Our legal team will work toward negotiating a plea deal so that you get reduced charges and/or lenient sentencing.
• We will advocate for you at trial if an equitable plea deal can’t be struck.

You don’t have to fight your white collar crime charge alone. Call Barton & Associates Attorneys at Law to schedule a confidential consultation. We can discuss your legal options with you and answer any questions you may have.

Overview of White Collar Crimes in Texas

“White collar crime” is an umbrella term that refers to individuals, businesses, or government officials who commit non-violent, financially-related offenses. Even though Texas does not provide a specific definition for white collar crime, it does address fraudulent and criminal activities that fall under this category.

Under Texas law, white collar crime involves meddling with:

• Financial institutions such as banks, trust companies, insurance companies, credit unions, etc.
• Property such as land, personal items, or money
• Services such as labor and professional services, transportation services, lodging, restaurants, and car rentals

There is a wide variety of white collar crimes, including:

Fraud

Fraud entails intentionally deceiving others for the sake of financial gain. It can take many different forms, including:

• • Securities Fraud: deceiving investors or manipulating stock prices
  • Credit Card Fraud: using someone else’s credit card information to make purchases against their knowledge
  • Insurance Fraud: filing false claims for incidents that never occurred

Those who commit fraud prey on the trust of others to steal their money.

Embezzlement

Embezzlement occurs when someone misappropriates funds for their personal use. For example, one of a bank teller’s responsibilities is cashing checks for customers. If a bank teller were to cash a customer’s check and deliberately keep the money instead of depositing it, this would be grounds for an embezzlement charge.

Bribery

A person commits bribery if they intentionally or knowingly offer, give, or receive anything of value to influence a public servant or a party official. This is a serious offense that can undermine public trust in the government.

Forgery

Forgery entails creating or altering a document to deceive others. Common forms of forgery include altering checks, falsifying legal documents, and reproducing passports or driver’s licenses without authorization. Forgery can be classified as a misdemeanor or a felony offense, depending on the value of the property or the service that the guilty party attempted to obtain.

Tax Evasion

Tax evasion is the illegal act of intentionally avoiding paying taxes that are owed to the government. Examples of tax evasion include underreporting income, inflating expenses, and hiding assets.

In addition to these white collar crimes, there are others, such as insider trading, money laundering, racketeering, and identity theft. Regardless of the white collar crime you have been charged with, you should take it seriously, as penalties for these kinds of crimes can be severe.

What Are the Potential Penalties for White Collar Crimes in Texas?

If you have been charged with a white collar crime in Texas, you may be facing penalties, including fines and jail time. Because there are so many different types of white collar crimes, penalties can vary greatly. Your sentence will depend upon the type of crime you committed, how much money is involved, and your criminal history.

In any case, potential penalties include:

Jail Time

If you stole something worth between $500 and $1,500, for example, you could receive a jail sentence of up to 180 days. However, if your crime involved the theft of $300,000 or more, you could face five to 99 years in prison. As you can see, there is a wide range of prison sentences for these crimes.

Fines

In addition to – or as an alternative to – jail time, you may be required to pay fines. Similar to prison sentences, fines depend upon the amount stolen. Fines are designed to reflect the amount of economic damages stolen.

Probation

Oftentimes, a probation sentence is tacked onto or given as an alternative to a jail sentence. While an offender is on probation, they will have certain obligations to fulfill, such as finding a job, avoiding criminal activity, and renting an apartment. If they fail to uphold their obligations, they could be imprisoned.

Restitution

Restitution is a means of making the victim whole again by compensation for financial losses caused by the crime. The offender may be ordered to pay the victim for their stolen, lost, or damaged property.

A criminal defense attorney in San Antonio can help you navigate the penalties you are facing and work together with you to get a lighter sentence.

What Defenses Can I Raise If I’m Arrested for a White Collar Crime in San Antonio, Texas?

Facing criminal charges related to a white collar crime is a scary experience, but there’s no reason for you to succumb to the prosecution. There are various legal defenses you can raise to protect yourself from your charges, including:

Lack of Intent

A critical element of white collar crimes is intent. You may be able to show that you did not intend to commit the crime (i.e., did not wilfully deceive another person). For example, if you were accused of manipulating an investor into purchasing stock, you could argue that you genuinely believed the stock would continue to increase in value but simply did not foresee that its value would diminish as sharply as it did.

Lack of Evidence

You may be able to prove that there is not enough evidence to convict you of the crimes that you are being accused of. Such a defense is common in white collar crimes cases, as they often include voluminous financial records and other documentation. It is possible for the prosecution to sort through all this information and read their own interpretation into it.

Entrapment

If you can prove that law enforcement induced you to participate in criminal activity, you may be able to raise a legal defense of entrapment. Law enforcement is not allowed to coerce people to commit crimes. For example, perhaps a federal agent convinced you to participate in fraudulent activity that you thought was a legitimate business transaction.

No Direct Involvement

Another defense you may be able to raise is that you were not directly involved in the alleged criminal conduct. You may otherwise be able to prove that you weren’t present when the crime occurred.

Constitutional Violations

A defendant who raises a constitutional defense is asserting that their constitutional rights were violated during the investigation or prosecution. It may be the case that you were subjected to an unreasonable search and seizure (4th Amendment) that resulted in the apprehension of inadmissible evidence or that you were compelled to provide testimony or evidence that incriminates you (5th Amendment).

At Barton & Associates Attorneys at Law, we can help you identify the best legal defense(s) in your case and use it effectively.

Contact Our San Antonio White Collar Crimes Lawyers Today for a Consultation

Don’t try to manage your white collar crime charge on your own. Contact Barton & Associates Attorneys at Law to speak with a San Antonio white collar crimes lawyer. We will do everything we can to secure your freedom and make sure that you have a promising future.