Embezzlement Lawyers & Attorneys In Phoenix Arizona

Embezzlement Criminal Defense Attorneys

Embezzlement means stealing from an employer.  It can include misuse of company funds or credit cards, forgery, or outright stealing of cash from a register or safe.  In most cases, however, embezzlement involves mishandling of company accounting practices.

Accounting for a company is extremely important and can easily be mishandled.  In some cases, individuals deliberately “cook the books” to hide theft or misallocation of funds.  In other cases, however, embezzlement takes place when money is never deposited in the first place; some of these incidents involve thefts that have been taking place for years without a company owner’s knowledge.

The act of embezzlement is, by definition, difficult to locate and isolate.  It is a form of theft that is extremely quiet and “sneaky,” and business owners may be victims of it for years before they finally realize that money is missing.  Once they do realize that embezzlement is taking place, these business owners may find that thousands of dollars are missing.  Understandably, they are upset and want justice.

Embezzlement is a serious crime that can incur jail time, fines and the need for immediate restitution of all monies alleged to have been stolen.  While some people charged with embezzlement are clearly guilty, in many cases honest bookkeepers have been made to “take the fall” for a dishonest boss or employee.  You could one day find yourself charged with embezzlement when you have never stolen a dime from anyone.  In fact, many people charged with embezzlement are simply guilty of taking over as bookkeepers or accountants from people who were stealing from a company for years.

In such cases, it is critical that innocent people have professional criminal defense representation to protect their rights and prevent them from suffering unwarranted punishments such as fines and jail time.  A criminal defense attorney will offer an accused person a free consultation to go over the facts of the case, determine the best way to represent the accused person’s interests and assist that person in negotiating a plea arrangement or mounting a vigorous defense of the embezzlement case.

It is very important that a person accused of embezzlement have representation from an attorney who has a professional understanding and knowledge of the business world.  Without a deep understanding of both criminal and business law, an attorney may not have the skills necessary to mount a successful defense against an unwarranted embezzlement charge.