Financial and fraud crimes can prove costly

There are many types of fraud and financial crimes that Florida residents and businesses could find themselves involved in. Many of these crimes carry hefty penalties that could include lengthy jail time and restitution. Therefore, it’s important to know exactly what constitutes a financial crime so that a company or individual can make sure that he or she doesn’t get caught up in one.

One type of financial fraud is bribery. Bribery is when one party pays off another party to receive or give influence in matters like legislation or voting. The tough thing about bribery is that there doesn’t have to be a written agreement to prove that the crime happened, so this can get pretty tricky for a defendant. Both the person who offered the bribe and the person who accepted it could be charged.

Another type of financial crime is securities fraud. This happens when a corporate officer or someone connected to a company lies about or makes deceptive statements about the company’s stock. It could also happen when someone at the company shares information about a stock that is supposed to be confidential.

Embezzlement is another kind of financial crime. Embezzlement occurs when a company employee or member of an organization steals money that they were in charge of managing for that company or organization. Essentially, it would be like an accountant taking money that was meant to be used for the company and, instead, using it for his or her own use.

Financial misconduct and fraud usually constitute federal crimes. If someone finds him or herself accused of a financial crime, that person is going to need to work with attorneys that are experienced with federal financial rules and law. These types of lawyers understand white-collar crimes and laws, and they may be able to help their clients win their legal battles.