White-collar crimes
In recent years, the amount of white-collar crimes has increased and police statistics indicate a significant amount of offenses and investigation of senior position holders in all industrial and commercial fields in Israel. Sometimes it seems that crimes committed by senior executives became a norm, while quite often the act is done in good faith, although in other cases, the deed was indeed intentional and the defendant may lose everything he achieved so far.
What are white-collar crimes?
White-collar crimes are criminal offenses carried out with no violence or physical threat towards another person, while utilizing resources, such as a senior position, that allow the offender to breach the trust and carry out fraudulent activities. In most cases, white-collar criminals take advantage of their position and skills to obtain money illegally, such as in case of embezzlements. Among the most common white-collar crimes are embezzlement, deception, fraud, document forgery, bribery and frauds in the field of taxation and securities. Prior to submitting the indictment, the defendant is required to appear for questioning at the police or Tax Authority, depending on the offense. Starting from this stage, it is recommended to seek legal counseling and representation by an attorney specializing in criminal law in general, and white-collar crimes, in particular.
Motives in committing white-collar crimes
It should be noted that white-collar offenders often come from an upper middle-class background and are interested to improve their status. Therefore, they might be tempted to use shortcuts and seek loopholes to increase profits within a short amount of time. Most of the white-collar offenders seek to earn more money and often, their crooked methods are acquired due to the environment, in which they work, and due to their senior position. Sometimes, after hearing about the activities of other executives, senior position holders adopt inappropriate methods and risk losing everything they achieved. In some cases, the offender is afraid of losing his money and position, and tries to preserve the status quo through various fraudulent operations. Some people simply tend to take unnecessary risks, since fraud and corruption add excitement to their lives, while others are motivated by jealousy and rancor towards the employer.
Proper conduct recommended to the suspect
The suspect should seek legal consoling immediately upon being called for questioning at the police. In case if an arrest with no prior notice, suspect may exercise his right to remain silent, although there might be consequences. Therefore, it is important to know that a suspect has the right to receive legal representation and he should demand from the investigators to exercise this right.
It is important to know that a white-collar crime suspect, as well as the representing attorney, can act in several ways:
- Lack of guilt – the defense focuses on a position, in which the suspect does not admit he committed the crime and must prove his innocence or use legal loopholes that allow him to avoid punishment.
- Offense committed in good faith – often, operations are carried out in good faith and have no criminal intention.
- First offense – the defendant chooses to cooperate with the investigators and law enforcement authorities, expresses his regret and seeks to recover.
- Common knowledge – one of the defense strategies can be that a crime attributed to the defendant is a norm in a specific industrial field and therefore, bringing the person to trial can be considered as persecution or discrimination.
It is recommended to contact Ronen Oren & Co. Law Office that specializes in representing white-collar crime suspects and defendants. Firm’s staff, under the management of Adv. Ronen Oren, has acquired impeccable reputation in the field and provides top-quality counseling and representation services.