white collar crime

I Was Charged With a Federal Crime: What Should I Do?

Published on: January 20, 2021 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

Charlotte Criminal Lawyer Brad Smith answers the question: “Do I need to hire an attorney if I have been falsely accused?”

Being charged with a federal crime is a very stressful and frightening experience. Many people who are facing federal charges do not know what happens after they are arrested, receive a target letter, or their criminal case in North Carolina is taken to federal court.

Charlotte Woman Pleads Guilty for Filing False Tax Returns

Published on: February 19, 2020 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

Charlotte Criminal Lawyer Brad Smith answers the question: “Should I ever plead guilty to a charge?”

A Charlotte woman pleaded guilty in federal court for filing false tax returns. Andrivia Wells, a Charlotte-based tax preparer, entered a guilty plea for three out of 35 counts.

Common Embezzlement Defenses an Attorney May Use in Your Case

Published on: August 7, 2019 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

Charlotte Criminal Lawyer Brad Smith answers the question: “I was found not guilty of a charge, buy my record still shows the charge. What is going on?”

Embezzlement is a form of securities fraud. It is widely known as a ‘white-collar’ crime. The State of North Carolina can charge someone with embezzlement if it believes he or she stole money for personal gain while in a position of authority. The most common example of embezzlement occurs when an employee misappropriates funds that belong to his or her employer.

Conviction overturned because man’s fish were not “tangible objects”

Published on: February 26, 2015 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

J. Bradley Smith of Arnold & Smith, PLLC answers the question “Can I be arrested without evidence against me?”

Remember Enron?

It seemed like such a big deal until all the malfeasance that (allegedly) caused 2009’s Great Recession came to light, causing the collapse and usurpation of thousands of businesses large and small, nationwide.

Enron was an energy company. It collapsed. People were mad and, true to form, politicians seized on the madness, blamed their opponents for causing it, and proposed a solution politicians are often (or always) apt to propose: a new law.

Out came Sarbanes-Oxley, an Act designed to combat the kind of white-collar financial fraud that led to Enron’s demise. Like many laws, the Act was written broadly, was “too broad and undifferentiated,” according to United States Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan, “with too-high maximum penalties, which give prosecutors too much leverage and sentences too much discretion.”