Some crimes are referred to as “white collar” crimes, financial crimes include a variety of charges that involve identity, money or insurance. While more newsworthy cases involve high level executives within large corporations, most people charged with a financial crime are unaware of their involvement. The heavy-handed penalties handed down by the court system and made public in the headlines are applied across the board regardless of the level of involvement. Therefore, if you have been wrong accused of a financial crime, you need a Cincinnati defense attorney you can trust to understand the prosecution’s strategy and firmly defend your involvement.
Mark Wieczorek is an Ohio White Collar Crime Defense Lawyer. The Wieczorek Law Firm defends clients throughout Ohio against financial or “white collar” crimes. If your have been charged with a financial crime in Ohio, call an Ohio White Collar Crime Defense Lawyer at The Wieczorek Law Firm, LLC at 513-317-5987
- Overview of Financial Crimes Legal Representation in Cincinnati Ohio
- Financial Crimes Overview
- Common Financial Crime Charges
Financial Crimes Overview
Further, being convicted of a white collar crime lead to fines and prison time, and community embarrassment. Time is not on your side when it comes to forming a defense strategy against being charged with a financial crime and they could lead to criminal charges.
Common defense strategies include: a Constitutional rights violation, duress, entrapment, hearsay, illegal search and seizure, lack of evidence, misidentification, and no criminal intent. The success of your case depends on hiring the right team to fight for you – a team that truly understands how the prosecution will present your case and thoroughly dissect problem areas.
Common Financial Crime Charges
The following are some of the examples of what an Ohio White Collar Crimes Defense Lawyer can assist with.
Forgery – The Ohio Revised Code 2913.31 states that forgery involves a person who “with purpose to defraud, or knowing that the person is facilitating a fraud, forges another person’s writing without their authority, forges any writing to make it appear genuine, forges an identification card, or sells a forged identification card.” The penalty if convicted of forgery range from fourth-degree felony to second-degree felony based on the value of what was lost by the victim and whether or not the victim was elderly or disabled.
Criminal Simulation – Under Ohio Revised Code 2913.32, criminal simulation occurs when a person, with purpose to defraud or facilitate a fraud, makes, alters, or possesses an object so it appears to have value it does not actually possess—such as counterfeit art, fake antiques, or forged collectibles. It also applies to presenting false items as authentic with the intent to deceive. Criminal simulation is generally a first-degree misdemeanor, but may be elevated to a fifth-degree felony if the object is represented as a significant or high-value item.
Embezzlement – Embezzlement is prosecuted in Ohio under general theft statutes (ORC 2913.02) and involves the unlawful conversion of funds or property by someone in a position of trust, such as an employee or financial officer. Penalties vary based on the amount stolen, ranging from a first-degree misdemeanor for under $1,000 to a first- or second-degree felony for thefts over $150,000 or from protected classes such as the elderly.
Falsification – According to Ohio Revised Code 2921.13, falsification occurs when someone knowingly makes a false statement, either in writing or verbally, to a public official or in a legally required document. This offense can include lying on job applications, government forms, or during police investigations. Penalties range from a first-degree misdemeanor to a third-degree felony, especially when the statement is made to obtain government benefits, licenses, or interfere with legal proceedings.
Defrauding Creditors – Ohio Revised Code 2913.45 defines defrauding creditors as disposing of or concealing assets with the intent to hinder, delay, or defraud creditors during insolvency or bankruptcy proceedings. This includes hiding property, transferring assets to relatives, or lying about income. The offense is typically a first-degree misdemeanor, but may be prosecuted as a felony if large sums or organized schemes are involved.
Tampering with Records – Under Ohio Revised Code 2913.42, tampering with records involves knowingly falsifying, altering, destroying, or removing records with the purpose to defraud or mislead. This applies to public records, business documentation, academic transcripts, or medical files. It is often charged as a third-degree felony, particularly when public institutions or financial gain are involved.
Health Care Fraud – Health care fraud in Ohio involves submitting false claims or documentation to obtain payments from health insurers or government programs. This includes billing for services not provided or upcoding treatments. Prosecuted under both state and federal law, health care fraud can be charged as a felony, with sentences increasing based on the dollar amount involved and harm to patients.
Workers’ Compensation Fraud – This crime involves making false claims or misrepresenting injuries to collect benefits from the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC). Employers can also be charged if they misclassify employees or underreport payroll. Charges range from misdemeanor to felony, depending on the amount defrauded and intent to deceive.
Securing Writings by Deception – Defined under Ohio Revised Code 2913.43, this offense involves obtaining official documents, contracts, or signatures through deception or false pretenses. It commonly arises in mortgage fraud, identity fraud, or false business dealings. It is generally prosecuted as a fifth- or fourth-degree felony, depending on the value and intent.
Counterfeiting – Under Ohio Revised Code 2913.30, counterfeiting refers to the creation or use of fake currency, checks, credit cards, or documents with intent to defraud. Counterfeiting is often prosecuted alongside federal charges and is a felony in Ohio, with increased severity when tied to organized criminal activity or large-scale schemes.
Identity Fraud – The Ohio Revised Code states that identity fraud involves a person who “without the express or implied consent of the other person, uses, obtains, or possesses any personal identifying information of that person with the intent to hold the person out to be the other person or represent the other person’s personal identifying information as the person’s own personal identifying information.” Penalties for an identity fraud conviction range from a fifth-degree felony to a first-degree felony based on the value of what was obligation involved and whether or not the victim was elderly or disabled.
Medicaid Fraud – The Ohio Revised Code states that Medicaid fraud involves a person who “knowingly makes or causes to be made a false or misleading statement or representation for use in obtaining reimbursement from the Medicaid program.” The penalty if convicted of Medicaid fraud ranges from first-degree misdemeanor to third-degree felony based on the value of the funds obtained.
Insurance Fraud – The Ohio Revised Code states that insurance fraud involves a person who “with purpose to defraud or knowing that the person is facilitating a fraud, either presents or causes to be presented to an insurer any written or oral statement that is part of or in support of an application for insurance, a claim for payment pursuant to a policy, or a claim for any other benefit pursuant to a policy, or assists, aids, abets, solicits, procures, or conspires with another to prepare or make any written or oral statement that is intended to be presented to an insurer as part of, or in support of, an application for insurance, a claim for payment pursuant to a policy, or a claim for any other benefit pursuant to a policy.” The penalty if convicted of insurance fraud ranges from first-degree misdemeanor to third-degree felony based on the value of the amount of the claim.
Extortion – The Ohio Revised Code states that extortion involves a person who “with purpose to obtain any valuable thing or valuable benefit or to induce another to do an unlawful act, threatens to commit any felony, threatens to commit any offense of violence, violates § 2903.21 or § 2903.22 of the Ohio Revised Code, or utters or threatens any calumny against any person.”
Engaging in Corrupt Activity – The Ohio Revised Code states that a person is patriating in or conducting corrupt activity when they, “are employed by or are associated with any enterprise, acquires or maintains, directly or indirectly, any interest in, or control of, any enterprise or real property through a pattern of corrupt activity or the collection of an unlawful debt, or knowingly receives any proceeds derived, directly or indirectly, from a pattern of corrupt activity or the collection of any unlawful debt.” Penalties for engaging in corrupt activity range from a second degree felony to a first degree felony based on the degree of the activity.
If your have been charged with a financial crime in Ohio, call an Ohio White Collar Crime Defense Lawyer at The Wieczorek Law Firm, LLC at 513-317-5987
