Are You Facing An Investigation For Possible Embezzlement?

Perhaps you have only been working at your company for a short period of time. Perhaps that is why you are among the three or four people in the accounting department who are under suspicion of embezzlement.

However, most white-collar crimes of this sort start with people with financial acumen. No matter how long you have been with the company, as a senior financial analyst, you fit the profile.

Profile of an embezzler

A total of 554 embezzlement cases that were active in the United States formed the basis for The 2013 Marquet Report on Embezzlement. The study revealed that embezzlers normally begin their criminal careers when they are in their early 40s, but only about 5 percent have a history of criminal activity. Women tend to embezzle on a large scale, but men often embezzle considerably more money than women do.

Lengthy schemes

According to the study, embezzlement is not usually a brief, one-time event; major schemes go on for five years or more on average. Most of these schemes take place in the financial services industry, which sustains the greatest losses. Other victims often include government entities and nonprofit organizations. Forgery and the issuing of unauthorized checks are among the most common embezzlement schemes.

Examining the details

Including you in the group that is facing a federal investigation for embezzlement may be because you had ample opportunity for criminal activity given your position, and management does not know as much about you as they do about their long-time employees. An experienced criminal defense attorney will examine everything that pertains to the matter, including the facts surrounding the crime, your work in the accounting department, your background and any prior brushes you may have had with the law. The prospect of a federal investigation can be unnerving, but you do not have to face it alone.