The New Jersey Code of Criminal Justice outlines several different white collar crimes with a range of different white collar crime penalties.
A white collar crime conviction can make potential employers think you are untrustworthy or impulsive.
Although white collar cases are often lower profile than violent crimes, it does not mean you should not take charges seriously.
If you or a loved one is facing white collar crime charges in New Jersey, contact a criminal defense attorney at Weiner Law today to discuss your case.
What Are White Collar Crimes?
White collar crimes are non-violent criminal offenses committed to gain a financial advantage. Many white collar crimes are committed by employees or professionals who divert their employer’s funds to themselves.
Some white collar crimes are outlined by federal law, while others are defined by New Jersey criminal statutes. Even though white collar crimes are non-violent offenses, they still carry the potential for stiff criminal penalties and permanent harm to your reputation.
Types of White Collar Crimes
New Jersey statutes outline several different white collar offenses with varying penalties. Common white collar crimes in New Jersey include:
- Credit card fraud,
- Bad checks,
- Money laundering,
- False representation, and
- Health care claims fraud.
Our team compiled details on other white collar crimes in New Jersey that you can see below.
Forgery
Forgery occurs when someone, with purpose to defraud or injury someone else, or with knowledge that they are facilitating a fraud or injury to be perpetrated by anyone, does the following:
- Alters or changes any writing of another without their consent;
- Makes, completes, executes, authenticates, issues or transfers any writing so that it purports to be the act of another who did not authorize that act or of a fictitious person, or to have been executed at a time or place or in a numbered sequence other than was in fact the case, or to be a copy of an original when no such original existed; or
- Utters any writing which they know to be forged in the ways described above.
Typically, people know that attaching a fictitious signature to a document is a type of forgery. However, they do not realize that altering the date of a document can also warrant forgery charges.
Generally, forgery is a crime of the third degree. A crime of the third degree is punishable by between three and five years in prison.
Identity Theft
Identity theft occurs when someone:
- Impersonates another person or assumes a false identity to obtain a personal benefit or injure or defraud another person;
- Pretends to be a representative of some person or organization and does an act in such pretended capacity for the purpose of obtaining a personal benefit or to injure or defraud another person;
- Impersonates another person, assumes a false identity, or makes false or misleading statements regarding the identity of any person for the purpose of obtaining services;
- Obtains personal identifying information about another person and uses the information to steal their identity or represent themselves as that person without authorization for their own benefit; or
- Impersonates another person, assumes a false identity, or makes false or misleading statements regarding the identity of any person for the purpose of avoiding payment for prior services.
The penalties for identity theft depend on how much the benefit or deprivation was worth and how many identities were stolen. If the value is less than $500 and involves the identity of a single victim, identity theft is a crime in the fourth degree. A crime in the fourth degree is punishable by up to 18 months in jail.
If the value is between $500 and $75,000, or involves between 2 and 5 victims, identity theft is a crime in the third degree.
If the value is more than $75,000, or involves the identity of 5 or more victims, identity theft is a crime in the second degree. A crime of the second degree is punishable by between 5 and 10 years and a fine of up to $150,000.
Insurance Fraud
Insurance fraud is defined as knowingly making false, fictitious, fraudulent, or misleading statement of material fact in, or omitting a material fact from, any record, bill, claim or other document, in writing, that they attempt to submit, submits, or causes to be submitted as part of, in support of or opposition to or in connection with:
- A claim for payment, reimbursement, or other benefit pursuant to an insurance policy;
- An application to obtain or renew an insurance policy;
- Any payment made in accordance with terms of an insurance policy or premium finance transaction; or
- An affidavit, certification, record, or other document used in any insurance or premium finance transaction.
An example of insurance fraud could involve someone who intentionally damages their own vehicle to recover funds through an insurance claim.
Alternatively, someone could intentionally light their home on fire to recover compensation through their homeowner’s insurance.
Insurance fraud is a crime of the second degree if the accused knowingly commits 5 or more acts of insurance fraud and if the aggregate value of property, services, or other benefit wrongfully obtained or sought is at least $1,000. Otherwise, submitting a false claim to defraud the insurer is considered a crime of the third degree.
What Are White Collar Crimes in New Jersey? Contact Weiner Law Today to Find Out
A white collar crime conviction can impact your ability to qualify for a personal loan, obtain certain jobs, and be approved for apartment applications. This is in addition to any criminal and financial consequences imposed by the court.
The best way to minimize the penalties associated with a white collar crime charge is to hire an experienced lawyer to defend your rights.
Our team at Weiner Law believes that building strong relationships with our clients is the keystone to our success.
We dedicate time to understanding your case so we can give you accurate legal advice, recommend practical solutions, and show our clients the care and compassion they deserve. We will do whatever we can to secure a positive outcome for you.