Protecting Your Future Against Embezzlement Charges
Embezzlement is a significant white-collar offense that can lead to lasting legal and financial repercussions. Embezzlement accusations against employees, executives, or contractors in Texas may lead to felony charges, along with job termination and imprisonment.
You should engage an experienced legal team that can defend your rights while contesting evidence to achieve the most optimal legal outcome possible when facing an investigation or charges.
Hilder & Associates P.C. provides legal representation for both individuals and businesses facing complex financial crime cases that include embezzlement and various other white-collar offenses. Our Houston criminal defense team knows the prosecutor’s strategies and how to mount a strong defense.
Contact 713-655-9111 now to schedule an initial consultation with a Houston embezzlement lawyer.
What Is Embezzlement Under Texas Law?
Texas categorizes embezzlement as a form of theft when someone illegally takes money or property they were legally entrusted with. Embezzlement distinguishes itself from other theft crimes by involving a breach of trust, which typically happens in business or professional contexts.
The severity of embezzlement charges depends on the stolen amount, which determines if the crime will be classified as either a misdemeanor or a felony, with greater punishments for larger sums taken.
Some examples include:
- A company employee diverts money from the organization’s financial account
- A financial advisor misusing a client’s investment
- A bookkeeper changes payroll or vendor records, enabling them to benefit financially.
- A non-profit leader uses organizational funds for their personal benefit.
Common Situations That Lead to Embezzlement Charges
Some embezzlement accusations arise from factors other than criminal intent. False allegations often arise from mistakes in internal accounting processes combined with inadequate supervision and workplace misunderstandings. The typical situations that lead to charges involve unauthorized credit card use by employees or false expense reports. Some other examples include the following:
- Unauthorized use of a company credit card
- Falsifying expense reimbursements
- Creating fake vendors or invoices
- Manipulating time records or payroll
- Using company assets for personal projects
Without criminal intent from you, the state cannot secure a conviction because intent must be proven. You can defend yourself against embezzlement charges with a Houston embezzlement attorney who understands how to argue your intent or lack thereof.
How Embezzlement Investigations Typically Unfold
The initial phase of an embezzlement investigation usually involves internal audits and flagged financial reports or complaints made by coworkers. Prior to formal charges being filed, companies might initiate their own investigation or employ outside forensic accountants. The discovered suspicious activity gets handed over to law enforcement or federal agencies based on the size of the theft allegation.
At this stage of the investigation process, you might receive requests for an interview or documentation submission. You should seek legal advice before responding to any inquiries, regardless of your innocence.
Your statements may be misunderstood or leveraged to construct legal evidence against you. An experienced Houston attorney who focuses on embezzlement cases can step in early to safeguard your rights while directing the investigation before any charges arise.
How Prosecutors Prove Embezzlement Charges
Prosecutors commonly utilize financial documents alongside internal audits, witness testimonies, and digital communications. These cases can become very complex because evidence tends to be subject to various interpretations. The experience of a legal professional enables them to dispute presumptions while investigating motives and suggest different interpretations of the facts. The prosecution needs to demonstrate beyond a reasonable doubt that you committed these actions.
- The prosecution must demonstrate that you maintained either a fiduciary or employment relationship with the alleged victim.
- You were entrusted with money or property
- You purposefully moved or utilized the funds to benefit yourself
- You acted without receiving proper authorization from the owner or beyond the limits of your official responsibilities
Defenses to Embezzlement Charges in Houston
Our team at Hilder & Associates, P.C. has developed extensive experience in creating personalized defense strategies that reduce risk while protecting our clients’ futures. Each case differs from the next, so your defense strategy needs to be built around the specific details of your case.
Common legal defenses include:
- You did not misuse the funds because you neither acted knowingly or intentionally.
- A different person accessed the funds or accounts instead of you.
- The prosecution lacks adequate evidence to establish your involvement in the crime.
- Mismanagement caused the accounting errors rather than theft.
- You operated under the belief that you had permission to access the funds.
What to Do If You’re Accused of Embezzlement
When facing an investigation or charges, you must act quickly. Prosecutors might propose plea agreements at the start of an investigation, but entering into one without knowing all the ramifications can be a mistake.
It’s crucial to allow your lawyer to manage all communication and negotiation tasks during your legal proceedings. Early case decisions have major implications for the final result of your legal situation.
Take the following steps right away:
- Avoid any conversations with investigators unless your lawyer is present.
- Preserve any financial records or relevant documentation.
- Your case details should not be shared with your coworkers or friends and should not be posted online.
- Get in touch with a Houston white collar crime attorney who handles embezzlement cases to evaluate your situation.
Why Choose Hilder & Associates, P.C.?
A sophisticated defense approach is necessary for handling white-collar crimes such as embezzlement. At Hilder & Associates, P.C., we focus our practice on complex criminal matters that require an attorney with extensive experience and thorough legal knowledge regarding allegations of fraud and other financial crimes.
We aim to discreetly settle your case to your benefit by achieving dismissal, charge reduction, or obtaining an acquittal at trial. We understand how to:
- Analyze complex financial documents.
- Collaborate with forensic accountants.
- Challenge the faulty audit results.
- Uncover flaws in prosecutors’ theories.
- Negotiate well with prosecutors.
Schedule a Consultation With a Houston Embezzlement Attorney
Don’t face embezzlement charges alone. Taking action immediately after being accused or suspected grants you greater influence over your legal situation. At Hilder & Associates, P.C., our legal experience allows us to safeguard your rights as well as your professional life and future prospects.
Contact 713-655-9111 today to receive a confidential consultation from a Houston embezzlement attorney who can vigorously defend your name and obtain the most optimal results possible.
