White Collar Charges Demand a Skilled Skokie Defense Attorney
When we think of criminals, most of us imagine people we would not want to meet in a dark alley. Someone big and tough would not be afraid to hurt another person to get what they want physically. The kinds of crimes we associate with this class of criminal include things like assault and battery, gun violence, robbery, and even murder.
White-collar crimes are different. They do not involve violence. Instead, they are solely focused on illegally taking money or property from another individual or organization through fraud, bribery, forgery, or some trickery.
Likewise, the people who tend to be charged with white-collar crimes usually do not fit our mental image of what a criminal looks like. People who work in an office daily are generally considered good citizens.
But if you are charged with a white-collar crime or learn that you or your business are under investigation for criminal activity, do not sit back and assume you will receive a slap on the wrist. These types of crimes are taken very seriously by the state of Illinois, and in some cases, you can even be charged with a federal offense.
The most common white-collar charge in Illinois is felony theft. What needs to happen for someone to be charged with felony theft? They must have allegedly stolen more than $500. That’s it.
If you are charged with a white-collar crime, you can expect to face hefty fines, lengthy jail or prison sentences, the possibility of restitution or other administrative penalties, and the reality of living with a permanent criminal record that anyone who does a background check on you will be able to see. Not to mention the damage a criminal charge or conviction can do to your good name or that of your business.
So what do you do if you are charged or discover you are being investigated? Seek out an experienced and knowledgeable white-collar crimes attorney. Someone who has successfully handled cases just like yours before and understands all of the complexities that can be involved with the defense of a white-collar crime.
Andrew M. Weisberg is not only a skilled white collar crimes lawyer who has been helping people like you to get the best possible outcome in these types of cases, he understands exactly how prosecutors think and what needs to be done to beat them. How? Because before he became a Skokie criminal attorney almost two decades ago, he worked as a prosecutor in Cook County. His job was to build cases against people charged with all kinds of crimes and secure convictions. This experience allows him to craft defenses that protect you while tearing down prosecutors’ arguments.
A Knowledgeable Skokie Criminal Lawyer Who Can Help You with All Kinds of White Collar Charges
Often, when someone is charged with a white-collar crime, they react with a mix of fear and confusion. They are afraid of what may happen to them and are not sure exactly why they are being charged and what it means.
That is why one of the first things Andrew Weisberg does when he initially meets with potential clients is to go over the details of their case and explain their charge. White-collar crimes cover a wide range of activities and can include a variety of illegal actions.
Theft (720 ILCS 5/16-1). Most people have a fairly innate understanding of theft, but it is still valuable to explain how it is defined under Illinois law. Committing theft in our state involves knowingly taking property from another party without getting the consent of the owner. Depending on the circumstances involved, these types of cases can also be called embezzlement (where an employee comes up with a way of stealing a lot of money from their employer) or, simply, employee theft. Other common types of theft include ID theft, credit card theft, and more.
The typical charge is a misdemeanor when someone is accused of stealing $500 or less. Above this amount, and the prosecutor may decide to bump it up to a felony. The higher the value of the property stolen, the more severe the punishment.
Additionally, stealing from certain individuals or organizations may increase penalties. Someone accused of stealing more than $100,000 from a school or government agency will be charged with a Class X felony and face up to 30 years in prison, and if you are accused of taking more than $500,000 from anyone, you will be ineligible for probation.
Forgery (720 ILCS 5/17-3). You can be charged with forgery when you make or alter a document intending to defraud a person or organization. Some examples of forgery include:
Signing another person’s name on a check without their permission
Opening a credit card account in another’s name without their permission
Changing a will so that you will benefit from it
This crime is classified as a Class 3 felony with the potential of 2-5 years in prison.
Money laundering (720 ILCS 5/29B-1). If you know that money comes from a criminal enterprise and you attempt to disguise where that money came from to make it seem legitimate, this is a crime known as money laundering. All types of money laundering are charged as felonies, but in certain situations, you will even face a Class X felony and 6-30 years of prison.
There are also all different kinds of fraud, covered by numerous statutes, including:
It does not matter if you are being charged or investigated for a large-scale white-collar crime or something considered a lower-level case. Mr. Weisberg has successfully helped countless clients with both types of white-collar crimes. He knows how to aggressively defend you regardless of whether you are being accused of stealing millions of dollars or just a few hundred.
Start Protecting Your Rights Today by Reaching Out to Skokie Criminal Defender Andrew M. Weisberg
Over nearly two decades of fighting for people like you, Mr. Weisberg has made quite a name for himself. He has been named a Top 100 Trial Lawyer by The National Trial Lawyers. He has a 10/10 rating and has won numerous Clients’ Choice awards on Avvo. And he is featured on Lawguru due to his vast criminal law knowledge.
But at the end of the day, he knows that only one thing matters: do you trust that Andrew Weisberg is the right lawyer to get you the best possible outcome in your case. Choosing a criminal attorney is not easy; the only real way to know if someone should be handling your case is to sit down and speak with them.
That is why Mr. Weisberg always offers a free initial consultation. When you reach out to us, we will set up a time for you to come in and talk with Andrew Weisberg about the specifics of your situation and learn about the charges you face and the potential options available to you.
Act fast, though. The longer Andrew Weisberg has to build your defense strategy, the more likely you are to receive a positive outcome. Start protecting your future right now by emailing andrew@amwlaw.com or calling 847-807-1075.
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