Houston White Collar Crime Defense Attorney

White Collar Crimes Lawyer in the City of Houston, TX, Defends the Rights and Future of Clients Charged with White Collar Offenses in Harris County, Fort Bend County, Montgomery County, and Throughout Texas

Are you facing criminal prosecution for a white collar crime? Although white collar crimes are typically non-violent offenses, the penalties for a conviction can be severe. You need aggressive, dedicated legal representation to defend your interests when you have been charged with white collar crimes. Let a Houston white collar crime defense attorney from Chernoff Law help you.

I am attorney Ed Chernoff. I have dedicated my 35-plus-year legal career to working in criminal law. My experience includes having been on both sides of criminal cases. For five years, I served as a top prosecutor with the Harris County District Attorney’s office. But in 1991, I decided to use my experience and insights into how prosecutions work to defend the rights of people facing criminal charges. In 1995 I received Board Certification in Criminal Law from the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Over the decades, I’ve represented thousands of clients and taken more than 150 cases to jury trial, earning a national reputation as a smart, dedicated criminal defense attorney.

Reach out to my criminal defense firm today for a free case review to discuss your legal options with a white collar crimes lawyer in the City of Houston, TX. I will pursue every available avenue in fighting to secure the best possible outcome in your case. 

What Is a “White Collar Crime?”

The term “white collar crime” encompasses non-violent crimes, usually involving fraud, deceit, or concealment, with the intent to acquire or avoid losing money, or to gain some business or personal advantage. These offenses usually occur in a business or commercial setting. White collar crimes can be committed by both individuals and businesses. 

White Collar Charges That Chernoff Law Helps Clients Face

I can help you defend your reputation and interests if you have been charged at the state or federal level with white collar crimes such as:

• Bankruptcy fraud
• Bribery
• Public corruption
• Computer/internet fraud
• Counterfeiting
• Credit card fraud
• Embezzlement
• Bank fraud
• Government fraud
• Healthcare fraud
• Securities fraud, including insider trading
• Investment fraud, including Ponzi schemes or pyramid schemes
• Insurance fraud
• Kickback schemes
• Mail fraud
• Wire fraud
• Money laundering
• Tax fraud/evasion

Defenses to White Collar Criminal Charges

Depending on the facts of your case, you may have one or more defenses that you can raise against a charge of committing a white collar crime. Common defenses include:

• Lack of intent – Many white collar criminal statutes require the offender to intentionally or knowingly commit the criminal act. If you had no intent to engage in fraudulent or deceitful behavior, you may have a defense against your charge. For example, you might contest a tax fraud charge by showing that the error on your tax return was unintentional. 
• Professional advice – Similar to a lack of intent defense, you might argue that you did not have the required criminal intent because you relied in good faith on the advice of professionals such as attorneys and accountants regarding the lawfulness and properness of conduct that led to your white collar charges.
• Entrapment – In an entrapment defense, you must show that government or law enforcement officials induced you to engage in criminal behavior, which you otherwise would not have committed but for the government’s conduct.
• Non-fraudulent conduct – A defense to some white collar crimes would involve showing that conduct or statements were not fraudulent as a matter of law. For example, if someone accuses you of selling a product or service through fraudulent representations, you might show that those representations were merely statements of opinion or clearly exaggerated marketing.
• Authorization – Some white collar crimes such as embezzlement or bank fraud can be overcome by showing that you had valid authorization to take or withdraw the funds or property at issue.

How Can a Houston White Collar Crime Defense Attorney from Chernoff Law Can Help You Pursue a Fair and Favorable Outcome to Your Charges

You need experienced legal counsel to help defend your rights and reputation when you are facing complex white collar criminal charges. Turn to my firm for an effective defense strategy to contest your charges. You can expect that I will work tirelessly on your behalf by:

• Thoroughly investigating the underlying facts and circumstances of your charges to secure all available evidence
• Working with financial experts and forensic accountants if necessary to fully review documents and evidence in your case
• Taking the time to sit down with you to answer your questions, ensure you understand your charges and potential outcomes, and prepare you for what to expect at each stage of the case
• Standing up for your rights and moving to exclude any evidence that may have been obtained by law enforcement or investigators in violation of your constitutional rights
• Aggressively pursuing the best possible resolution to your charges, whether that means negotiating a favorable plea deal that ensure you avoid the harshest consequences of a conviction, or advocating in your defense at trial if you choose to assert your nnocence or fight your charges 

Contact Chernoff Law to Sit Down with a Houston White Collar Crime Defense Attorney, to Discuss Your Options in Your Case

Don’t leave the outcome of your charges to the mercy of the criminal justice system. Contact me today for a confidential consultation if you have been placed under investigation or arrested and charged with white collar crimes to better understand how a Houston white collar crime defense attorney can make a difference in your case. 

Houston White Collar Crime Defense Attorney Answers Frequently Asked Questions about White Collar Crimes in Houston, TX