Understanding White-Collar Crimes in Syracuse
The term “white-collar crime” does not appear verbatim in New York Penal Law. Instead, this is a general term used to describe a group of allegations that tend to affect people with standing in society. Depending on their scope, the amount of money or goods involved, and the position the alleged perpetrator holds, white-collar crimes range from simple misdemeanors all the way up to high-level felonies punishable by multiple years of prison time.
Defining the Scope of White-Collar Crime
For example, New York Penal Law §195.00 describes the crime of official misconduct, which public servants may commit if they take any action they know is not authorized by their office, or if they in some way refuse to perform their official duty. This charge is a class A misdemeanor punishable by no more than a year’s worth of jail time at the most.
Conversely, actions like first-degree forgery and first-degree commercial bribery are viewed much more seriously by the court system in Syracuse. The former is a class C felony defined by NYPL §170.15 as falsely making or altering any commercial instrument, such as stocks or bonds, with the intent to defraud another party. The latter, meanwhile, is a comparatively lesser class E felony that involves an employee or agent of a company taking a gift with the understanding that they will then influence the decisions of their boss, according to NYPL §180.08.
How to Approach a Syracuse White-Collar Crime Case
White-collar crimes are serious matters that courts treat just as harshly as many violent acts. Even though these are generally financial crimes or crimes against the public interest, many are still treated as felonies that can land a person in prison.
Charges involving white-collar crime generally involve dense documentary evidence. For this reason, it is often vital to obtain representation that could dedicate the necessary time and effort to fully discovering and analyzing the facts of your case. Experienced white-collar criminal defense lawyers in Syracuse may be able to help you sift through mountains of potential evidence and form a defense that could help your case in court.
