White Collar Crime Attorney In Augusta
At the federal and state level, white collar crimes appear to have a unique place in the landscape of criminal charges. Many people consider “white collar” to be a cleaner form of criminal activity, thus the name. They assume they’d have similarly light punishments, but in reality the potential penalties are considerable and devastating.
My name is Pete Theodocion, I’ve been a criminal defense attorney for federal and Georgia crimes for more than 25 years. Before that I was a federal prosecutor. Now, I use all the experience and insight I’ve gathered over my long career to defend people in Augusta and nationwide against criminal charges. My history is especially beneficial in white collar criminal defense.
State And Federal White Collar Crimes
White collar crime can be prosecuted on the federal and state level, depending on the charge and circumstances. A federal and state charges fall include such criminal activities as:
- Computer crimes: Various types of fraud require sophisticated online attacks, and typically an online attack would fall under federal jurisdiction, as these crimes often cross state lines, but that does not mean states can’t also pursue various computer crimes.
- Financial crimes: Embezzlement, tax evasion, securities fraud and insider trading are all sophisticated crimes hinging on complex financial intricacies. Elements of fraud and computer crimes are part of these, but primarily these focus on finances.
- Conspiracy and corruption crimes: RICO, public corruption, bribery, money laundering are all examples of criminal conspiracy crimes. Both Georgia and the federal government maintain laws that pursue these criminal enterprises.
- Fraud crimes: Medicare fraud, mortgage fraud, insurance fraud and many other types of crime are a fundamental part of many other types of white collar charges, but they are also serious charges on their own.
Whether an individual faces state or federal charges largely depends on the circumstances of the charges and the jurisdictions. However, what you have to understand is even if the charges are state level in nature, the opposition will typically draw on considerable resources.
Law Enforcement Resources In White Collar Cases
As a former federal prosecutor, I relied on many federal and local agencies to build cases for me. The agencies that work in these include:
- The Federal Bureau Of Investigation: This is a major piece of the federal law enforcement landscape, investigating federal crimes of all types, and maintaining national databases, as well as providing necessary support to local law enforcement when needed.
- IRS Criminal Investigation: The IRS maintains its own investigation service strictly focused on federal tax fraud. They can also alert local agencies of inconsistencies in tax filings for local taxes as well.
- Securities Exchange Commission: The SEC closely monitors and regulates all market activities and will investigate any red flag transactions for insider trading and market manipulation.
- Department of Justice: The Department of Justice is the prosecutorial arm of the federal government, overseeing such agencies as the FBI and the DEA. If there is a federal prosecutor involved in your case, they will be a member of the Department of Justice.
These offices and resources, and others such as the Secret Service and the OIG, are all working together with local authorities working to build cases and secure convictions.
What You Need To Know About Grand Juries
Grand juries are the groups that review evidence presented by prosecutors both at the federal level and in Georgia. A prosecutor must convince this jury – made up of the same pool of people as trial juries, everyday Americans – that there is evidence of a crime. The grand jury is not a place where your attorney can influence events, as only prosecutors are able to present their case.
However, if you receive a target letter for a grand jury investigation, while you cannot impact those proceedings, you can begin preparation. I can help you take necessary steps early to protect your name and self in any eventual charges.
Get A Free Consultation
Facing federal white collar charges is a stressful, overwhelming experience, but I can help you. I can take over any communication with authorities and aggressively defend your rights in and out of court. I’ll be with you and fighting for you for as long as necessary. Call my office today at 706-250-8762 for a free consultation or send an email using this form.