White collar crime refers to financially driven nonviolent crime performed by government and business professionals, such as accountants, mortgage brokers, tax preparers, and municipal officers. In 1939, sociologist Edwin Sutherland first defined “white collar crime” as “a crime perpetrated by a person of high social status and respectability in the course of his occupation.” In Pennsylvania, “white collar crime” includes offenses such as:
Such crimes typically involve voluminous amounts of documents, records, and paperwork, such as bank records, computer files, ledgers, and other data.
The length of imprisonment and financial penalties for a conviction of a white collar crime can be severe in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. However, many white collar crimes can be successfully defended in court with the use of qualified and competent experts in the field, such as forensic accountants, certified fraud examiners, financial record specialists, and former law enforcement officials with specialized training in white collar crimes. It is crucial for a person who is charged with a white collar crime to hire as soon as possible a highly trained, experienced, and skillful trial attorney to develop his defense.
For nearly 40 years, Attorneys Fredrick E. Charles and Dennis G. Charles of the Charles Law Offices have successfully defended all types of serious criminal offenses, including white collar crimes, in courts throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania with a reputation for excellence in legal knowledge, pretrial preparation, trial strategy, courtroom skill and experience. Both attorneys possess an undeniable, lengthy, and outstanding track record of jury acquittals and favorable case outcomes for their clientele.
The attorneys at Charles Law Offices closely scrutinize the prosecution’s evidence with the assistance of the most qualified experts in the field, and will carefully prepare your defense and zealously defend your legal interests at every stage of your case in order to achieve the best possible result. On those occasions when a non-trial disposition of a case is necessary, our attorneys are highly skilled veterans at working out plea-bargain agreements to reduce jail time and achieve the optimum case outcome for our clients.
If you, or a loved one, have been charged with a white collar crime, trust the lawyers at Charles Law Offices to work diligently and effectively in representing your legal interests. When your freedom, reputation and financial security are on the line, you can’t afford anything less than the skilled trial lawyers of Charles Law Offices!
Disclaimer: While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this publication, it is not intended to provide legal advice as individual situations will differ and should be discussed with a lawyer. For specific technical or legal advice on the information provided and related topics, please contact the attorneys at Charles Law Offices.
The Charles Brothers’ devotion to the law is derived from a family history in the legal system and of service to others. Their father, Charles “Chink” Charles (depicted in the lower left-hand corner of the photograph) held a 35 year career in law enforcement, and was selected to serve as the personal bodyguard for former United States Presidents John F. Kennedy, Richard M. Nixon and Lyndon B. Johnson during their campaign visits to Allentown.