St. Louis Embezzlement Attorneys

Any employee found to be illegally withholding assets or property of worth from a company for the purpose of conversion can be charged with embezzlement. This crime is a form of financial fraud which is not limited only to the corporate employee scenario. A lawyer could embezzle money from a client just as an accountant or financial advisor can embezzle funds from their client. This type of crime is typically committed by a person of trust who is an insider at the corporation and has access to the funds. If you are under suspicion of embezzlement, not only can your career be ruined but your entire future may be at stake. It is in your best interests to speak with a St. Louis criminal attorney from our firm immediately following your arrest.

Embezzlement is a severe white collar crime which carries serious legal consequences, both in the civil and the criminal court systems. All forms of embezzlement can be found under Title 18 in the United States Code. The sentence and penalty that you will receive will vary depending on the nature of the offense and the amount of money or total value of stolen property. Generally, embezzlement is punishable for up to 20 years of imprisonment or a fine which usually amounts to $500,000, or twice the amount of stolen property (whichever is greater). For example, if you were accused of embezzling $300,000, you may be required to pay a fine of $600,000. If the plaintiff files a lawsuit against you and is able to prove that the company suffered as a result of your crime, then there may be harsher penalties added to the judgment.

Former Prosecutors With More Than 30 Years of Experience

Here at The Hammer Law Firm, LLC, our lawyers have more than 30 years of extensive criminal law experience. We also have a legal background as former prosecutors and we know how the prosecution thinks and operates. They will fight for the maximum sentence, but as with every criminal charge, they will have to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt. One way to prevent this from happening is to demonstrate that you had no specific intent to cause the property from being permanently withheld from the rightful owner or to hold onto the property long enough for it to lose its value. If we can prove that it was not a premeditated act and there was no explicit intent to conceal your act from others, then we may be able to dismantle the prosecution's case against you.

Our attorneys have credible relationships with some of the judges and prosecuting lawyers in the area, which can level the playing field in the courtroom. For trustworthy legal advice and experience you can count on, contact a St. Louis criminal defense lawyer from our firm today.