Oklahoma White Collar Crime Defense Attorney: Adam R. Banner

An Oklahoma white-collar crimes defense attorney defends individuals or businesses accused of financial crimes. White collar crimes include fraud, embezzlement, identity theft, counterfeiting, extortion, and money laundering. The white collar crime defense lawyers at the Law Offices of Adam R. Banner analyze financial records, challenge evidence presented by the prosecution, and develop legal strategies to help protect their clients. The penalties for white collar charges in Oklahoma are severe. Our criminal attorneys negotiate plea deals, represent clients in court, and advise their clients on compliance to help prevent future legal issues. With deep knowledge of corporate regulations and federal laws, they work to minimize penalties, dismiss charges, or secure favorable outcomes.

White Collar Crime Charges We Fight in Oklahoma

The types of charges the white collar crime attorneys at The Law Offices of Adam R. Banner fight include fraud, embezzlement, tax fraud and evasion, counterfeiting, bribery, identity theft, extortion, money laundering, conspiracy, computer crimes, and intellectual property theft. We represent our Oklahoma clients facing any of the charges listed below.

• Fraud: Fraud is any activity that involves deception to achieve personal gains, such as money, property, or services. There are many types of fraud including credit card, securities, bank, mortgage, bankruptcy, mail, tax, computer, and wire fraud.
• Embezzlement: embezzlement charges result from the intentional misuse of money or property by a person who was entrusted with its care, management, or control.
• Tax Evasion: tax evasion charges result from the willful and unlawful act of avoiding or reducing tax obligations through deception, concealment, or misrepresentation. Intentionally failing to report income to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in order to avoid paying taxes is an example of tax evasion.
• Counterfeiting: Counterfeiting charges result from the act of creating, altering, possessing, or distributing fake money, or documents. Producing and distributing counterfeit $100 bills that appear to be authentic United States currency is an example of counterfeiting.
• Corruption: Corruption charges result from the abuse of public office, governmental authority, or a position of trust for personal gain or the benefit of another person. Directing government contracts to the company of someone in your family in exchange for financial benefits is an example of corruption.
• Bribery: Bribery charges result from offering, giving, requesting, or accepting money, gifts, favors, or other benefits in exchange for influencing a decision or obtaining special treatment. Paying a public official money in exchange for awarding a government contract is an example of bribery.
• Identity theft: Identity theft charges result from stealing, possessing, transferring, or using someone else's identifying information without legal authorization to do so. Using another person's Social Security number to open a credit card account is an example of identity theft.
• Extortion: Extortion charges are a result of obtaining money, property, services, or other kinds of benefit by using threats, intimidation, coercion, or fear. Threatening to release damaging information unless a person pays money is an example of extortion or blackmail.
• Money Laundering: Money laundering charges result from conducting financial transactions designed to conceal the source, ownership, location, or control of money that was gotten from unlawful activity such as selling drugs. Transferring drug trafficking proceeds through multiple businesses and bank accounts to disguise their origin is an example of money laundering.
• Tax Evasion: Tax evasion charges are the result of willfully avoiding or reducing tax obligations through means of deception, concealment, or misrepresentation. Intentionally failing to report income to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in order to avoid paying taxes is an example of tax evasion.
• Conspiracy: Conspiracy charges result from an agreement between two or more persons to commit a criminal offense and an act taken in furtherance of that agreement. Agreeing with another person to distribute illegal drugs and purchasing supplies to carry out the plan is an example of conspiracy.
• Computer Crimes: Computer crime charges are brought when an individual uses a computer, network, internet service, or electronic device to access systems without authorization, steal information, commit fraud, disrupt operations, or engage in other unlawful activities. Hacking into a company's computer network to obtain confidential customer information is an example of a computer crime.
• Intellectual Property Theft: Intellectual property theft charges are based on the unauthorized use, reproduction, distribution, or theft of protected creations, inventions, trade secrets, trademarks, or copyrights. Downloading and selling copyrighted software without permission from the owner is an example of intellectual property theft.

Our white collar crime attorneys have a strong record of success in having charges dismissed, reduced, or securing favorable outcomes for our clients. If you or a loved one has been charged with white collar crime in Oklahoma, time is of the essence. You need an attorney with experience in white collar crimes defense in Oklahoma, and you need one right now. Call the Law Offices of Adam R. Banner, P.C., and retain an accomplished attorney ready to fight for your rights. Call us today at (405) 778-4800 for a free consultation.

White Collar Crime Penalties

The penalties for white collar crimes in Oklahoma can include imprisonment, restitution payments, probation, criminal fines, home confinement, forfeiture of property, payment of prosecution costs, and a permanent criminal record. The specific penalties imposed often depend on the nature of the offense, the amount of financial loss involved, the defendant's criminal history, and other circumstances of the case.

The most common penalties for white collar crimes in Oklahoma are listed below.

• Jail or prison time
• Restitution payments
• Probation
• Criminal fines
• Home confinement
• Forfeiture of property
• Payment of prosecution costs

Prosecutors often pursue aggressive penalties in white collar cases because the offenses frequently involve fraud, deception, financial harm, or the abuse of a position of trust. In many cases, the severity of the penalties increases as the financial losses suffered by the victim or victims increase.

Because a conviction can result in significant financial consequences, incarceration, and long-term damage to a person's reputation and career, it is important to work with an experienced defense attorney who understands these complex charges and can develop an effective defense strategy.

What is Restitution in White Collar Cases?

Restitution in white collar cases is a court-ordered payment requiring a defendant convicted of a financial or fraud-related crime to pay back the victims for the actual financial losses caused by their criminal conduct. The State of Oklahoma authorizes treble (triple) damages in white collar fraud and theft cases. A Defendant can end up owing up to three-times the out of pocket loss the alleged victim suffered as a direct result of the criminal allegations in the form of a restitution order. Restitution is the amount of money necessary to make the alleged victim "whole" again. This monetary obligation will almost always be incorporated into any potential plea agreement or disposition order in a white collar criminal case.

Though few prosecutors are vindictive enough to request three times what the alleged victim lost in restitution, the mere possibility should go a long way in considering how Oklahoma law makers view white collar crime. Because restitution can so often become an issue in these types of cases (someone may admit he or she stole a certain amount, but the prosecution may allege much more), it is common for attorneys to set separate hearings for the sole purpose of deciding the appropriate restitution owed in any particular case. This option is more or less likely depending on the direction of the judge, but when had, it can become a full-blown bench (without a jury) trial of sorts, in which both the prosecution and the Defendant are allowed to present testimony and admit evidence in the hopes of convincing the judge as to the merits of its position. The scale of the hearing often-times depends on the amount of loss in question.

Restitution may be ordered in a lump sum, or it may be ordered in payments over a certain amount of time. A restitution order is an appealable order one can put before the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. Still, a restitution order is a fully enforceable court order, and failure to comply will likely result in severe consequences.

What To Do When Facing White Collar Crime Charges?

The first thing to do when faced with such allegations is to hire an experienced Oklahoma white collar crime attorney to help navigate the investigatory phase of the case. An experienced Oklahoma white collar attorney will arrange a meeting with the employers in hopes of mitigating any potential criminal liability. When the crime is framed in an employment setting, the vast majority of employers will attempt to intimidate the employee they are accusing into signing a confession or possibly a statement outlining the allegations. Cooperation in such a situation can become a life altering mistake. Just as a law enforcement officer may lie to a Defendant about the prospects of leniency if he or she is willing to cooperate, employers will attempt to coerce employees in the same manner. Anything you say at the meeting can be used against you. Furthermore, the professionals who conduct these meetings are usually not government agents; as such, they are not required to read you your rights or guarantee you understand all of your Constitutional protections. Furthermore, there is nothing to stop law enforcement officials from attending any such meeting and returning any warrant that may be active.

Outside of the employment setting, Oklahoma white collar prosecution can appear much the same as any other criminal prosecution on the surface. Do not be fooled however; the criminal process for allegations of Oklahoma white collar crime can quickly become federal, as investigations and prosecutions can lead to involvement by specialized government agencies such as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The majority of white collar crime can be described using a helpful dichotomy: fraud and theft.