White Collar Crimes

Defending against a case involving allegations of financial fraud or other white collar crimes can be exceptionally difficult. While there are many defenses to white collar crimes, it takes an experienced attorney with specific knowledge of these offenses to understand which defenses apply and how to effectively use them. At the Killedjian Law Corporation, we have more than two decades of hands-on experience investigating and defending against white collar crimes. Clients frequently call on Attorney Melanie Killedjian to intervene before the government secures an indictment, in hopes of re-directing the government’s investigation and without an arrest.

White collar crime is the term given to financial crimes committed for financial gain, which typically, although not always, do not cause physical harm to any victim. However, state and federal prosecutors will often bring these charges against individuals they believe are involved in gang activity such as gun or drug trafficking.

White collar crimes can be prosecuted in state court; however, federal prosecutors often pick up these cases due to their complexity as well as the fact that they usually involve conduct in multiple states.

Some of the most commonly charged white collar crimes include:

• Money laundering,
• Identity theft,
• Credit card fraud,
• Mortgage fraud,
• Mail fraud,
• Wire fraud,
• Healthcare fraud,
• Tax fraud,
• Extortion, and
• Bribery

Regardless of the nature of the crimes you face, the Killedjian Law Corporation is immediately available to meet with you to start working on your defense. Given the nature of how these investigations proceed, waiting until you are indicted or arrested to contact a lawyer is a mistake that may have drastic implications on the outcome of your case.

White collar crimes are unique because they involve the complex intersection of the law and principles of finance and accounting. Thus, to successfully prosecute or defend against these offenses requires advanced knowledge of issues that don’t often come up in other cases.

The Los Angeles District Attorney’s office created the White Collar Crime Division, and the federal government formed specialized White Collar Investigative Teams, which consist of highly trained prosecutors who only handle cases involving financial crimes. If you face allegations of white collar crime, you need an attorney who is equally experienced.

Unlike other crimes, prosecutors usually conduct very thorough investigations before filing charges or presenting their case to a grand jury. Often, the target of a white collar fraud investigation has no idea they are under investigation. Thus, by the time you learn of the charges against you, the government has already built its case, and prosecutors have convinced themselves you are guilty. This may even be the case if you do not believe you’ve done anything wrong, as prosecutors often cast a wide net in hopes of getting lesser-involved parties to testify against more culpable parties. It is imperative that anyone who is approached by state or federal law enforcement agents about a white collar investigation immediately reach out to an attorney to protect their interests.

If you received a target letter or were contacted by law enforcement about a pending white collar fraud investigation, your next step should be to reach out to an experienced Los Angeles criminal defense attorney. At the Killedjian Law Corporation, we take an all-hands-on-deck approach to white collar criminal defense. Attorney Melanie Killedjian has more than 20 years of experience helping clients avoid the harsh consequences of a conviction through diligent and strategic representation. With her help, you may be able to avoid the scrutiny of law enforcement altogether. To learn more, and to schedule a free consultation with Attorney Melanie Killedjian at the Killedjian Law Corporation, call (818) 986-0888 today. You can also connect with us through our online contact form