If you've been watching the headlines, one thing is clear: Federal authorities are starting to go after white-collar criminals (and suspected criminals) in a big way.In the last month alone, there have been major developments involving the opioid crisis and Purdue...
white collar crimes
Is it illegal to use the company card for personal expenses?
Having a "company card" is a privilege that not every employee gets. Generally speaking, access to a company card is reserved for only the employees that are in the most trusted positions.While some companies carefully watch the charges that go on those cards, others...
How do you defend against white collar charges?
White collar prosecutions usually take people by surprise. Sometimes, they have no idea that what they did was even illegal. Other times, they got caught up in circumstances that spiraled out of control before they realized it, and they simply never took the time to...
What kinds of actions are considered credit card fraud?
You'd never even steal a $20 bill from someone's unattended wallet, so how did you find yourself facing charges of credit card fraud? It can happen more easily than you might think.Credit card fraud is a type of identity theft, and it's a common problem in this...
Illinois pastor charged with stealing $800,000
An Illinois pastor at a Chicago church has been indicted on charges of stealing over $800,000 of money that was designated for a food program to help needy children. The 45-year-old man had previously been charged with fraud for taking $100,000 from an elderly man in...
Felicity Huffman sentenced in college admissions case
Illinois residents may be aware that several celebrities have been charged in connection with a college admissions scandal. Actress Felicity Huffman pleaded guilty in May to paying an admissions consultant $15,000 to improve her daughter's SAT scores, and the...
Former MillerCoors VP sentenced for wire fraud
A former vice president of Illinois-based MillerCoors was sentenced to three and a half years in prison on May 16 for defrauding the brewer out of about $8.6 million between 2003 and 2013. The 60-year-old man entered a guilty plea to one count of wire fraud as part of...
Actress pleads guilty in college admissions case
Illinois residents may be aware that a few well-known people have been caught up in a college admissions scandal. Actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin are among dozens of parents who are accused of paying large sums to ensure that their children were accepted...
High-profile lawyer charged with extortion
For many people in Illinois, lawyer Michael Avenatti became a celebrity when he represented adult film star Stormy Daniels in her legal action against President Donald Trump. His representation of Daniels was accompanied by frequent press conferences and TV...
Wire fraud and identity theft most common white-collar crimes
A university study that examined federal prosecutions of white-collar crimes identified the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois as the location with the most white-collar cases per capita in January. Researchers drew upon data from the U.S....