There may a common line of thinking out there amongst many in New York that the penalties that accompany white collar crimes are light. This assumption may be fed by the stories that many may have heard perpetuated about cushy federal prisons that make the experience of incarceration seem like more of an extended vacation. In reality, an embezzlement charge can result in very harsh consequences, especially given that many of such cases involve the alleged theft or misappropriation of huge sums of money. As is the case in many criminal actions, the higher the amount that is supposedly stolen, the greater the penalty one may face.
A Rhode Island man is currently being forced to learn this lesson the hard way after he was convicted of embezzling more than $700,000 from a local non-profit organization. He admitted to taking money from the non-profit from 2012 through 2016, during which time he was the organization’s finance director. He supposedly paid the money to another business that he owned, though in later statements he acknowledged having used it for personal reasons. His actions resulted in him being sentenced to 33 months in federal prison, after which time he must still serve three years of supervised release. He has also been ordered to perform 100 hours of community service, and to pay back $630,000 in restitution.
Even in cases where large amounts of money are alleged to have been stolen, defendants still have the right to push for as favorable an outcome as possible in their cases. Such outcomes can help those affected by their alleged actions, as well, by allowing them adequate time to repay restitution. Anyone looking for such an outcome in their case might want to seriously consider securing the services of an experienced attorney.
Source: US News and World Report “Former Nonprofit Group Official Gets Prison for Embezzlement” Aug. 11, 2017