New York White Collar Lawyer

We defend white collar crimes in New York

What is a “white collar” crime?

So called white collar offenses generally refer to non-violent financial crimes such as embezzlement, grand larceny, money laundering, and fraud. Sometimes computer crimes such as identity theft are considered white collar offenses.

Unlike most violent crimes, most non-violent white collar offenses charged under state law have a corollary in federal law. There are also several federal white collar offenses that have no corollary in New York state law.

The phrase “white collar offense,” therefore, is a generic term that applies to a diverse range of cases; there is in the statutes books no heading for “white collar crimes.”

Prosecutors dislike the term “white collar” offense because they think it signifies that persons accused of such crimes are somehow less culpable than other criminal defendants, and we are seeing an change in mindset toward the prosecution of financial offenses in the current environment.

With the advent of the Great Recession, and blame being laid at the feet of banks, money managers, and others in the financial industry, prosecutors are taking white collar crimes very seriously. Therefore, no longer are white collar defendants facing the parodied “country club prison” sentences; rather, courts are meting out greater and greater jail time to white collar defendants.

Sophisticated crimes call for sophisticated legal representation

Owing both to the seriousness with which white collar offenses are treated in the current environment, and to the highly technical and sophisticated nature of the conduct underlying the alleged offenses in this area, if you find yourself faced with arrest for a “white collar” offense it is imperative you retain immediately an attorney versed not only in criminal defense but in white collar litigation.

Robert Reuland began his legal career on Wall Street twenty years ago, so he is well-positioned to understand the complexities of the law in this area. He “speaks the language.”

Recently, in a case that received considerable media attention, we defended an accountant accused of bilking his clients out of over $100,000. After his arrest, he was further charged with threatening the life of the district attorney assigned to prosecute him. We were successful in moving to dismiss the most serious counts of the indictment against him, and subsequently were able to negotiate a highly favorable plea bargain on his behalf.

Don’t make the mistake of being smart

Often those accused of committing a white collar offense are very well educated with very good, high paying jobs. What we frequently see is a client who believes to his detriment that he can “outsmart” the cops and investigators. Such a client therefore fails to retain experienced counsel until he is arrested. By that point, sadly, the options available to his lawyer are limited.

Remember that the police officers, detective, investigators, and federal agents who investigate “white collar” offenses are some of the most sophisticated among their colleagues. More, the agencies that investigate white collar offenses are armed with highly technical equipment that allows for the tracking and interpretation of financial and electronic evidence.

While we do not want to suggest that we can short-circuit an arrest if you are under investigation for a white collar offense, we strongly urge you to retain a lawyer as soon as you believe you are under investigation. Because even an arrest can have life-altering ramifications, we will do our best to prevent arrest. More, involving an attorney at an early stage may operate to prevent the commission of secondary crimes once the client realizes the jig is up. That is, clients seeking to outsmart or foil investigations sometimes try to cover their tracks, which can lead to additional crimes or to evidence showing a consciousness of guilt.

Call Robert Reuland today

We are pleased to confer with you at no cost to discuss your drunk driving charge. Call Robert Reuland any time at 718-300-0626, or e-mail his office today. We will be happy to take the time to set your mind at ease. Regardless of whom you hire, protect your rights! Contact a skilled and experienced criminal defense attorney today.