When you earn a high income, there is always a risk that someone will accuse you of crimes just because you’re successful. There is the potential for people to accuse you of corruption or of accepting bribes due to your place in a company or the government.
It’s important not to let accusations get out of hand. An accusation between coworkers or employees could quickly lead to a police investigation where you have to defend yourself legally.
What should you do if you’re accused of a white collar crime?
It depends on the crime of which you’re accused, but there are a few basic things you can do. You shouldn’t talk to the police without first getting legal advice about what you should or should not say. The last thing you want to do is to incriminate yourself when you were intending to exonerate yourself.
You should determine what potential evidence the prosecution has against you in order to best weigh your defense options. For instance, you may be able to show that you did not knowingly make a mistake in your accounting books or otherwise prove that you had no discrepancies in your documentation of financial transactions.
Keep in mind that it is the prosecution’s job to prove that you are guilty. If the prosecution is unable to collect enough evidence, you may not need to say or do anything to defend yourself. Staying silent can be a good defense in some situations.
Are there documents you should gather if you’re accused of a crime?
Keeping copies of your financial documents and transactions could help your dispute the allegations against you. You will also need to learn from which incident(s) these allegations are derived in order for you to be able to defend yourself properly without bringing up other concerns to the court. Sometimes, defending yourself is as much about protecting other information as it is about explaining the information the court already has.
While you’re dealing with allegations of a white collar crime, you’ll need to protect your reputation and career. If you’re later found innocent and suffered losses as a result of a malicious prosecution, you may be able to seek compensation through a lawsuit. It’s your right to protect yourself in any way possible.
