Embezzlement Defense Attorney in Miami, Florida

Embezzlement is a crime that has been happening for as long as people and businesses in Miami have been entrusting other people to manage their money. A person commits this type of crime when he or she steals or misappropriates money or property with which he or she has been entrusted to manage for someone else. Embezzlement is a federal offense if the individual commits the offense against the federal government. Apart from stealing directly from the federal government, there are other factors that could cause a case to fall under federal jurisdiction, instead of being charged as a state offense. An embezzlement defense lawyer in Miami can help defendants determine the best steps toward a powerful defense.

Federal charges

A Floridian who embezzled money or property that is valued at $1,000 or more may be sentenced in federal court to jail time, ordered to pay a fine, or required to do both. Defendants who are convicted in these cases may not be fined more than $250,000 or sentenced to more than ten years in prison. Those who embezzle less than $1,000 can not be sentenced to more than one year in prison or fined more than $100,000. If the Tampa defendant is convicted for a charge on a related offense, he or she may be subjected to additional sentencing that may result in more time behind bars and paying an additional fine, embezzlement cases that also involve tools that are used to counterfeit money are charged as an aggravated offense and may be punished with a higher maximum fine.

Methods of embezzlement

There are many ways a person who has been entrusted with finances or property can embezzle funds. The six main schemes involve:

• • cash reserves
  • negotiable instruments
  • account credits
  • traveler’s checks
  • document forgery
  • official company checks

Cash

Working in a position that offers exposure to cash is often viewed by scammers as a great opportunity to enrich themselves with someone else’s money. Employees, appointed officers, and auditors who have access to an organization’s cash and are looking to embezzle funds engage in the following:

• withholding cash from transactions instead of placing the cash in a cash register;
• pocketing petty cash;
• giving customers the wrong amount of change;
• stealing cash from another employee’s work area.