Can only businesspersons be charged with white collar crimes?
Historically, white-collar crime focused on the status of the offenders when it identified them as professionals or businesspersons. However, the current definition of white collar crime focuses on the actions committed, and not on the vocation of the offender. White collar crime is defined as using illegal acts involving deceit to obtain property or services or to gain a business or professional advantage. Examples of cases involving crimes not traditional thought to be white collar crimes include drug dealers charged with mail fraud when they delivered controlled substances through the mail, and a printer convicted of securities fraud when he used information he obtained in the course of printing corporate documents to gain an advantage in the stock market.
The RICO Act is generally thought of as a white collar crime prevention statute. It punishes anyone who engages in a pattern of racketeering to generate income to buy a business or to conduct a business. The pattern of racketeering refers to at least two criminal acts listed in the statute that have a relationship to each other and occur within ten years of each other. Originally passed to control organized crime, RICO has been applied to drug dealers, and other non-organized crime defendants.
James E. Short, PLC
652 Independence Parkway Suite 120 Chesapeake, Virginia 23320
Phone: (757) 410-5042 VirginiaDUIHotline@gmail.com
The information on this site is not intended to be used as personal legal counsel, nor is to be used as a substitution for legal representation. We recommend that you consult a licensed attorney in order to address your litigation needs.
The James E. Short, PLC office is located in Chesapeake, Virginia, and represents people living or driving in Virginia, including the cities of Alexandria, Arlington, Charlottesville, Chesapeake, Lynchburg, Norfolk, Petersburg, Richmond, Roanoke, and Virginia Beach, and all outlying areas. The James E. Short, PLC also represents clients from Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Newport News, Hampton, Isle of Wight counties and clients from any state, who were charged with criminal charges in Virginia.
