White Collar Crime Defense

The Law Office of James D. Owen, LLC has over 25 years of experience in successfully representing clients throughout the community.  Our highly skilled attorney provides our clients with the aggressive legal representation they need.  Contact a Columbus criminal attorney today for a free initial consultation to discuss your case and plan a legal strategy to protect your rights.

Types of White Collar Crimes

The term “white-collar crime” refers to crimes committed in a corporate, financial, or business-related setting.   The term was first coined by sociologist Edwin Sutherland in 1939, who defined it as “criminal activity committed by a person of respectability and high social status in the course of his occupation.”  The targets of white-collar criminal investigations often include business owners, directors, managers, executives, board members or even government officials.

White-collar charges we see and defend in Columbus and across Ohio include:

1. Fraud charges, such as mail, wire, securities, mortgage, insurance, bank, and internet fraud against individuals and corporate, financial, or other business institutions;
2. Medicaid, Medicare, Worker’s Compensation other fraud against governmental agencies, and public corruption charges against state and local governmental officials and employees;
3. ERISA reporting and transactional violations;
4. Money laundering;
5. Tax charges, including tax fraud, tax evasion, and the willful failure to file tax returns;
6. Theft of computer code, trademark violations, and copyright infringement;
7. Securities violations and alleged Ponzi schemes against private and financial investors;
8. Insider trading;
9. Check, bond, and currency violations;
10. Environmental and health and safety law violations;
11. Identity theft and forgery crimes

White collar charges are prosecuted in Columbus in both state and federal court.  In recent years, however, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio (with offices based here in Columbus, Ohio), has focused more resources investigating and prosecuting economic and white collar crime.

A large number of those cases are prosecuted here in Columbus in The United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, Eastern Division.

Title 29, Chapter 2921 of the Ohio Revised Code outlines Ohio’s “Offenses Against Justice.” This includes tampering with evidence, obstructing official business, falsification, resisting arrest, and bribery.

Offenses Against Justice

Section 2921.12 — Tampering with Evidence:

Makes it a crime to alter, conceal, or destroy anything with the purpose to hinder its value in an official proceeding or investigation. This is a 3rd degree felony in Ohio. Prosecutors often charge tampering in connection with another charge to gain leverage in plea bargain negotiations.

Section 2921.31 — Obstructing Official Business:

Makes it a crime to purposely prevent, delay, or obstruct a law enforcement officer from performing his duties. Often charged alongside falsification when false information is given to a police officer.

Section 2921.13 — Falsification:

Makes it a crime to knowingly make a false statement, most commonly to mislead a law enforcement officer. Depending on circumstances, can range from a first degree misdemeanor to a third degree felony.

Section 2921.33 — Resisting Arrest:

Makes it a crime to recklessly or by force interfere with a lawful arrest. Can range from a first degree misdemeanor to a fourth degree felony depending on circumstances.

Gambling Crimes

Chapter 2915 of the Ohio Revised Code lists criminal charges for illegal gambling in Ohio, including illegal gambling for profit, bookmaking, operating a gambling house, public gaming, cheating and “fixing” sports events, and illegal bingo.

Section 2915.02 — Gambling: Criminalizes most games of chance, professional gambling, and gambling for profit. Except for bookmaking, it does not outlaw gambling not done for profit. Gambling is a first degree misdemeanor in Ohio, unless there is a prior gambling conviction, in which case it becomes a fifth degree felony.

Section 2915.02 — Operating a Gambling House: Prohibits a person who rents or owns property from using it — or allowing another to use it — for illegal gambling. Penalties are the same as for Gambling.

Other Ohio gambling crimes under Chapter 2915 include: Public Gambling (§2915.04); Cheating (§2915.05); Operating a Skill-Based Amusement Machine; and Illegal Bingo.

Find a Columbus White Collar Crime Lawyer

Defending against allegations of white collar crime usually involves assembling, reviewing, and analyzing a large volume of banking, bookkeeping, accounting, and other types of business records and financial evidence.

This experience gives him a keen insight about how to best defend against allegations of white-collar crime In Columbus, Ohio.

If you are the subject of a white collar criminal investigation, or have been charged with any white collar crime in Columbus or elsewhere in Ohio, please call attorney James D. Owen at 614.547.5757 for a free initial consultation.