White Collar Crimes

I defend clients accused of all THEFT crimes, including Embezzlement, Credit Card / Insurance Fraud, Grand Theft, Petty Theft, and all kinds of “White Collar” Crimes. I work towards securing you a “CIVIL Compromise” that allows you to protect your record, save you money, and stay out of jail.

WHITE COLLAR CRIMESWhen you are facing White Collar criminal charges, you need to rely on the “power of your attorney”.

Anthony Lowenstein is the muscle behind criminal defense.

If you are facing white collar criminal charges, you need to seek the advice of an experienced and aggressive criminal attorney immediately. The Law Offices of Anthony Lowenstein can provide you with the knowledge and experience that is crucial when defending you against white collar criminal charges.

The term “white collar crime”, generally refers to non-violent crimes involving business people and professionals who profit financially through the use of deception. Common types of white collar crimes are as follows:

Antitrust Violations: Antitrust violations include price fixing, creating monopolies, mergers and acquisitions that restrict or substantially lessen competition and restraint of trade.

Bankruptcy Fraud: Bankruptcy fraud can be committed by individuals and/or corporations who purposely conceal assets or mislead creditors.

Bribery: Bribery is the offer of money, goods, services, information or anything else of value, which is presented with the intent of influencing the actions, opinions, or decisions of the taker.

Computer/Internet Fraud: Computer and Internet fraud includes using or applying for credit cards online under false names, unauthorized use of a computer, manipulation of a computer’s files and computer sabotage.

Credit Card Fraud: Credit card fraud is the unauthorized use of a credit card to obtain merchandise.

Counterfeiting: Counterfeiting occurs when someone copies or imitates an item without having been authorized to do so and passes the copy off for the genuine or original item.

Economic Espionage: Economic Espionage involves the theft or misappropriation of proprietary economic information (trade secret) from an individual, a business, or an industry.

Embezzlement: Embezzlement occurs when someone who has been entrusted with money or property appropriates it for their own use and benefit.

Environmental Law Violations: Environment law violations include the discharge of a toxic substance into the air, water, or soil which poses a significant threat of harm to people, property, or the environment, including air pollution, water pollution, and illegal dumping, in violation of federal environmental law.

Extortion: Extortion is defined as “forcing a person to give up property through the use of violence, fear or under pretense of authority”.

Financial Fraud: Financial fraud involves fraud or embezzlement occurring within or against financial institutions that are insured or regulated by the U.S. Government. Financial fraud includes commercial loan fraud, check fraud, counterfeit negotiable instruments, mortgage fraud, check kiting and false applications.

Forgery: Forgery is defined as the “making or altering of a false writing with intent to defraud”.

Government Fraud: Fraud against the government may consist of fraud in connection with federal government contracting and fraud in connection with federal and/or federally funded entitlement programs, including public housing, agricultural programs, defense procurement fraud, educational programs, and corporate frauds.

Healthcare Fraud: Healthcare fraud includes kickbacks, billing for services not rendered, billing for unnecessary equipment, and billing for services performed by a lesser qualified person.

Insider Trading: Insider trading is trading that takes place when those privileged with confidential information about important events use the special advantage of that knowledge to reap profits or avoid losses on the stock market.

Insurance Fraud: Insurance fraud includes a variety of fraudulent activities committed by applicants for insurance, policyholders, third-party claimants, or professionals who provide insurance services to claimants. Such fraudulent activities include inflating or “padding” actual claims and fraudulent inducements to issue policies and/or establish a lower premium rate.

Kickbacks: Kickbacks refer to the return of a certain amount of money from seller to buyer as a result of a collusive agreement.

Larceny: Larceny is the “taking and carrying away of tangible personal property of another by trespass with intent to permanently (or for an unreasonable time) deprive the person of his interest in the property”. Larceny must involve personal property, and it must be capable of being possessed, and carried away.

Mail Fraud: Mail fraud occurs when the U.S. Mail is used in furtherance of a criminal act.

Money Laundering: Money laundering is a process or series of actions through which income of illegal origin is concealed, disguised or made to appear legitimate to evade detection, prosecution, seizure and taxation

Public Corruption: Public corruption involves a breach of public trust and/or abuse of position by federal, state, or local officials and their private sector accomplices.

Perjury: Perjury is the “willful and corrupt taking of a false oath in regard to a material matter in a judicial proceeding”

Securities Fraud: Securities fraud includes theft from manipulation of the market, theft from securities accounts, and wire fraud.

Tax Evasion: Tax evasion is fraud committed by filing false tax returns, or not filing tax returns at all.

Telemarketing Fraud: Telemarketing fraud is any scheme to defraud in which the perpetrators use the telephone as the primary means of communicating with the potential victims of the scheme.

White collar crimes are generally prosecuted in federal court although they may also be enforced at the state level. The government employs several different agencies to assist in regulating white collar crime including the FBI, the Internal Revenue Service, the Secret Service, U.S. Customs, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Securities and Exchange Commission. All of these agencies have the authority to investigate you if they suspect that you are involved in a white collar crime.

An attorney who is used to the federal court process can provide a successful defense. The Law Offices of Anthony Lowenstein is armed with the knowledge and experience to build a winning defense in all white collar criminal matters. Admitted to practice law in California and California, Mr. Lowenstein has represented clients on both coasts and understands both the federal and state legal systems.

If you are accused of committing a white collar crime, it is crucial that you contact an attorney who is experienced in defending federal court matters as well as state matters. Many people accused of white collar crimes can successfully defend and win their case before it ever gets to court. As soon as you hear or are notified that you are under investigation for committing a white collar crime, you can begin your defense. An attorney who is experienced in business law, criminal law and federal law, and who is a skilled negotiator can often convince the government to discontinue its investigation before you are indicted.

If you are notified that you are under investigation for a white collar crime, you must protect your constitutional rights. Make sure that you do not answer any questions until you consult with an experienced white collar crimes attorney.

The Law Offices of Anthony Lowenstein is committed to upholding your rights. We employ an aggressive defense and can often reduce or dismiss the charges against you. Our sole priority is to achieve a resolution that you can live with without significantly affecting your lifestyle. The Law Offices of Anthony Lowenstein guarantees that you will receive the undivided attention you deserve.

White Collar Crimes include crimes such as:

• embezzlement
• fraud
• burglary
• forgery
• uttering a false or forged instrument
• securities fraud
• identity theft
• insurance fraud
• medi-cal fraud
• credit card fraud
• insider trading
• obstruction of justice
• conspiracy
• and many others

For many people, these crimes involve two separate problems: one, resolving your criminal case, and two, preserving your professional integrity.

Criminal charges for white collar crimes can range misdemeanors to felonies, while the penalties can include jail and/or prison time, large fines, and restitution. It is very important to begin working quickly on these cases in order to negotiate effectively with law enforcement. Many times, restitution to the alleged victims becomes an issue which can be utilized during negotiations. Additionally, there are often other ways to effectively negotiate these types of cases. We have settled many cases in which our clients, due to their swiftness and/or preparing and presenting our client’s defense to law enforcement, did not have to serve any jail or custody time. A creative, swift, quiet settlement is often the goal. Which brings us to the next important point.

If you are a professional, such as a doctor, lawyer, stock broker, chiropractor, physical therapist, real estate agent, etc. (anyone carrying a professional license registered with the State or other government entity), these types of charges can bring your professional career to a screeching halt. Quite often, without proper representation, the Court might restrict or even suspend your ability to continue in your profession until the criminal case is resolved. Believe it or not, you could have your license restricted, suspended, or revoked just by the mere filing of charges. Consequently, you can lose not only your livelihood, but you’ll lose the respectable, professional reputation you’ve worked so hard to maintain. Typically, you have a right to have a licensing hearing which is separate from the criminal court proceeding, but the courts often ignore this right and impose restrictions while the criminal case is still pending. This is why it is so important to have an experienced attorney who knows how to handle these cases with a keen awareness on the professional licensing issue.