Houston Bank Fraud Defense Attorney

Experienced Embezzlement Lawyer in The City of Houston Defends the Rights of Clients Charged with Wire and Bank Fraud in Harris County, Fort Bend County, Montgomery County, and Throughout Texas

A White Collar Crime, no matter how complicated the scheme, is still considered a theft. However, because it often involves large amounts of money and requires substantially more investigation, embezzlement cases are assigned to special prosecutorial divisions. If you or a loved one have been charged with embezzlement, wire fraud, or another theft-related offense in the state of Texas, it’s important that you contact experienced Houston bank fraud defense attorney Ed Chernoff for a free consultation about your case as soon as possible.

Fraud Cases Heard in State and Federal Courts

In Harris County, there are two sections of the District Attorney’s office that handle large fraud cases – the Major Fraud Division and the Consumer Fraud Division. If accused of theft or embezzlement, you will need a strong White Collar Crimes Lawyer!

If substantial enough, the FBI may also investigate White Collar Crimes. They are charged in United States District Court and assigned to an Assistant U.S. Attorney for prosecution. Most of the time, a theft crime in Federal Court will be charged as bank fraud or wire fraud.

What is the Possible Penalty for Embezzlement?

Under the Texas Penal Code, embezzlement is classified as theft. The determination of penalties depends on the amount allegedly stolen from the business. Most of the time, the amounts are substantial and charged as a felony. It is not unusual for an embezzlement case to be charged as a first-degree felony. This carries a penalty of five years to life in prison.

Why Hire Houston Bank Fraud Defense Attorney Ed Chernoff?

A person charged with this crime must take care to retain a law firm with substantial experience in financial crimes. Usually, the defense to this crime is hidden in massive amounts of documents. If a lawyer does not know how to interpret and analyze these documents, the defense will be lost. If a white-collar crime lawyer is not knowledgeable and conversant in financial matters, he will not be able to explain his client’s defense to a jury.

At Chernoff Law, we have had cases where an investigator has persuaded the employee to confess to theft by promising him that the company is only interested in restitution. Once the employee confessed and agreed to a payment plan, the investigator shipped the case off to the District Attorney’s office for prosecution.

Sometimes an embezzlement scheme is so complicated, a confession is the only way that a prosecution can be initiated. No matter the case, an employee who is accused of this crime should seek representation immediately. On more than one occasion, we settled accounting discrepancies without filing charges against our client. It is always better to keep the case out of the District Attorney’s hands than to try and stop the prosecution later.