West Palm Beach White Collar Crime Attorney
Florida criminal defense attorney Bruce L. Udolf has decades of experience as both a prosecutor and a defense lawyer handling white collar crimes in West Palm Beach and South Florida. As a defense lawyer, he has been named to the tier one ranking of U.S. News and World Report’s Best Lawyer listings in the White Collar category, and for the past four consecutive years he has been named Lawyer of the Year in the areas of white collar and general criminal defense in South Florida by Best Lawyers in America. If you’ve been arrested for a white collar crime in South Florida, the stakes are high, and you owe it to yourself to seek out a highly rated West Palm Beach white collar crime attorney who is experienced and successful in defending white collar criminal charges. Call Bruce L. Udolf, P.A., for dedicated and effective white collar criminal defense in West Palm Beach.
What is white collar crime?
White collar crime generally refers to any criminal offense that is perpetrated through fraud, deceit or misrepresentation, as opposed to violence, coercion or the threat of force. Most white collar crimes today are defined in federal statutes. The investigation and prosecution of these laws and regulations are delegated to many different federal agencies, such as the FBI, the IRS, the SEC, the Treasury Department, the Postal Service and others. Some of the most commonly enforced white collar crimes in West Palm Beach are:
- Credit Card Fraud
- Identity Theft
- Cybercrime
- Mortgage Fraud
- Health Care Fraud
- Tax Charges
- Computer Crimes
- Mail & Wire Fraud
- Securities Fraud
- Public Corruption
- Money Laundering
- RICO/Racketeering
- Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
What defenses are available to charges of white collar crime in West Palm Beach?
The full range of criminal defenses is available in a prosecution for white collar crime in West Palm Beach, although not all common criminal defenses, such as self-defense or the defense of others, may apply to a white collar charge. A common defense in white collar cases is simply that you are innocent of the charges against you. This may be the case when another person misunderstood your actions as fraudulent misrepresentations when you were actually just voicing your opinion on a subject. A person who took your words to heart and acted on them to their detriment may accuse you of fraud when you never had any such intention.
Lack of intent is another broad defense to many West Palm Beach white collar offenses. Most criminal laws have an intent element that must be proven in order to convict. However, in the area of white collar crimes, the intent element is often not crucial to proving the crime. For instance, under the “responsible corporate officer doctrine,” a highly placed corporate officer can be held liable for actions taken by others at the company without any participation in or actual knowledge of any wrongdoing; such officers are presumed by their position to know what is going on at the company. Also, courts have held perpetrators of mail fraud responsible for collateral harm to third parties who never received the fraudulent communication, and courts have found bank fraud without the intent to obtain specific bank property. An understanding of each element of the statute is essential to a proper and robust defense.
In some cases, the prosecution must also prove proximate cause – a legal connection between the alleged conduct and the alleged harm. This is the case to hold someone liable under the Mandatory Victim Restitution Act, for instance.
At the West Palm Beach law office of Bruce L. Udolf, P.A., we conduct a careful review and analysis of your case to make sure all available defenses that are likely to succeed are fully developed. We’ll also advise you on whether an alternative to trial is preferable in your circumstances, such as pleading to a lesser crime or cooperating with government investigators. Our goal is always to achieve the best outcome possible in your specific situation.
Get the Legal Help You Need After an Arrest for White Collar Crimes in West Palm Beach
If you’ve been arrested for a white collar crime in South Florida, call Bruce L. Udolf, P.A. for practical advice and aggressive, effective representation from a dedicated and experienced West Palm Beach white collar crime attorney.
