San Diego White Collar Crime Attorneys

Many believe that the ordeal ends once they have been charged with a federal crime. However, many white-collar crimes can lead to civil charges. The only difference between these charges is the potential for jail or prison time. Federal defense attorneys must defend their clients against criminal allegations. At the same time, they cannot leave them vulnerable to civil prosecution. In many white-collar crimes, such as healthcare or securities fraud, civil penalties can lead to significant monetary penalties. Defending against these white-collar crimes means working to protect clients from both criminal and civil charges. Experienced federal defense teams have the foresight to protect you and your business against these charges.

Unfortunately, even a simple mistake or innocent comment can kick off a federal investigation. Several factors can trigger a federal white-collar crime investigation. For example, your business’s public disclosure may have gained attention from federal agents. A client, employer, or another party may have filed a whistleblower complaint with a federal agency. Unfortunately, some agencies conduct their own audits, such as the SEC, that could raise red flags, triggering an investigation.

When this happens, it can be a significant inconvenience for you and your company. To determine whether the federal government has you or your company under investigation, you must contact a federal prosecutor or agent assigned to the case. Contacting a federal agency by yourself is not advisable. Allow an experienced legal team to handle this step. When you reach out to Oberheiden P.C., we will determine whether you are under investigation or not. After that, we start structuring the proper defense against any allegations. Since we have experience with all major federal law enforcement agencies, we use our experience to your advantage.

Once a white-collar investigation begins, federal law enforcement agencies will inspect millions of pages of documents, scrutinizing all of your actions. They use data algorithms and allow programs to look for any signs of suspicious activity. With those methods, there is always a chance of detecting a false positive, which can be detrimental to you and your business.

Whistleblowers are sources of frustration for many companies. Generally, these ex-clients or ex-employees have claimed to have incriminating evidence against your business. Even if the claims are groundless, these individuals may have exaggerated the evidence. In turn, it opens you and your business to a federal criminal investigation. Once again, these baseless allegations are an inconvenience and leave you with the threat of legal liability.

Depending on the specific allegations, there is a wide range of potential penalties for white-collar crimes. If you have any other criminal convictions in the past, they can lead to enhanced penalties. Typical, white-collar crimes are felony offenses that may carry several years in federal prison. Some crimes, like mail or wire fraud, tend to carry 20-year prison terms. Along with that, you may need to pay restitution and other fines. Even the possibility of probation remains on the table after you have finished a prison sentence. Returning to everyday life is challenging after being convicted of a federal white-collar crime.

Getting ahead of any charge is essential to your federal criminal case. As soon as you learn about an investigation or the potential for one, make sure to secure federal legal representation. With that, your legal team will have time to develop an effective defense, prepare for any potential charges, and work with the prosecutor to persuade them to drop the investigation or charges. Even if the changes are a surprise, you will want to hire an experienced defense team immediately to protect your legal rights in these cases.

You should never reach out to a federal investigator without contacting an attorney. You may believe you have “nothing to hide,” but some agents will take your words and pursue criminal charges. White-collar criminal statutes are complex, you may feel you are innocent, but there could be law violations. Remember, those federal investigators will not show all of their evidence against you in the early investigation stages. If a federal investigator reaches out to you, they often need additional evidence to seek an indictment. Speaking to them could help them fill in any gaps, leading to a charge. When federal agents contact you, you need to call the dedicated white-collar criminal defense attorneys at Oberheiden P.C. to discuss your case.

At Oberheiden P.C., we want our successful track record to speak for our legal team. We have the experience and background to handle your federal criminal defense case. All our attorneys and investigators have a high level of experience defending, investigating, and prosecuting these types of crimes. Many of our investigators have experience working as law enforcement agents, often working for the same agencies investigating you. Also, many of our criminal defense lawyers have worked as white-collar crime prosecutors for the federal government. With our insider experience, we understand how these types of cases are handled, providing you with a considerable advantage over other federal defense firms in the city. As a result, we are better equipped to protect our clients from any legal liability in both civil and criminal cases.