Being charged with embezzlement under California Penal Code Section 503 is a serious matter that can devastate your professional reputation, career prospects, and personal freedom. In Pomona, a city with nearly 70,000 employed residents working across diverse industries[1] from retail to healthcare to manufacturing, embezzlement charges can arise in any workplace where trust and financial responsibility intersect. At Tu Defensor Criminalista, we provide aggressive, strategic defense for individuals facing embezzlement and white-collar crime charges throughout Pomona and Los Angeles County.
Embezzlement is fundamentally different from other theft crimes because it involves a betrayal of trust. You had lawful access to the property or funds in question, but prosecutors allege you misappropriated them for personal benefit. These cases can be exceptionally complex, involving extensive financial records, accounting analyses, and intricate legal arguments about intent and ownership. The stakes are enormous—embezzlement convictions can result in years in prison, massive restitution orders, professional license revocations, and permanent damage to your reputation and career. With proper legal representation, however, many embezzlement allegations can be successfully defended, reduced, or dismissed entirely.
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California Penal Code Section 503 provides a straightforward definition of embezzlement: “Embezzlement is the fraudulent appropriation of property by a person to whom it has been entrusted.” While this definition seems simple, embezzlement cases are often anything but simple. They involve complex factual scenarios, detailed financial analyses, and nuanced legal questions about ownership, authorization, and intent.
What distinguishes embezzlement from other theft offenses is the element of trust. In a typical theft case, the defendant never had permission to possess the property—they simply took it. In an embezzlement case, the defendant had lawful possession of or access to the property because the owner entrusted it to them, typically through an employment or fiduciary relationship. The crime occurs when the defendant allegedly misappropriates that property for unauthorized purposes.
To convict you of embezzlement in violation of Penal Code 503, the Los Angeles County prosecutor must prove beyond a reasonable doubt several specific elements. According to California Criminal Jury Instructions (CALCRIM 1806), the prosecution must establish that an owner entrusted property to you, the owner did so because they trusted you, you fraudulently converted or used that property for your own benefit, and when you did this, you intended to deprive the owner of the use of the property.
Each of these elements presents opportunities for defense. Did the owner truly “entrust” the property to you, or did you have independent authority over it? Was your use of the property “fraudulent,” or did you have a good faith belief that you were authorized to use it? Did you actually intend to deprive the owner, or were you planning to return or account for the property? An experienced embezzlement defense attorney examines each element carefully to identify weaknesses in the prosecution’s case.
Under California law, property subject to embezzlement includes far more than just cash. Property can encompass money, personal property (including vehicles, jewelry, electronics, and equipment), real property, labor or services, intellectual property and trade secrets, securities and financial instruments, and digital assets including cryptocurrency.
The breadth of what constitutes “property” means that embezzlement charges can arise in virtually any context where someone is entrusted with assets. A bookkeeper accused of taking cash, an inventory manager alleged to have stolen merchandise, an IT professional accused of misappropriating proprietary software, or a financial advisor charged with misusing client funds can all face embezzlement charges under Penal Code 503.
Pomona’s diverse economy creates numerous contexts in which embezzlement allegations can arise. Understanding common scenarios helps illustrate how these charges develop and the defenses that may be available.
The most common embezzlement scenario involves employees who have access to their employer’s money or property. In Pomona, where the largest employment sectors include retail trade, health care and social assistance, and manufacturing[1], employees regularly handle cash, inventory, equipment, and financial accounts.
Common examples include cashiers or bookkeepers who take money from cash registers or accounts, inventory managers who steal merchandise, purchasing agents who create false invoices to divert funds, payroll administrators who create “ghost employees” or inflate paychecks, and salespeople who pocket customer payments without recording them.
These cases often begin when employers notice discrepancies during audits or inventory counts. However, accounting errors, poor record-keeping, and mistakes by multiple employees can create the appearance of embezzlement where none occurred. Your defense attorney will carefully examine the employer’s financial systems, accounting practices, and investigation methods to identify alternative explanations for any missing funds or property.
Embezzlement charges aren’t limited to lower-level employees. Executives, managers, and business owners can also face allegations of misappropriating company funds. These cases often involve larger sums of money and more sophisticated schemes.
Examples include executives who use company credit cards for personal expenses, business owners in closely-held corporations who commingle business and personal funds, managers who authorize payments to shell companies they secretly control, and corporate officers who divert business opportunities or contracts for personal profit.
These cases frequently involve disagreements about what expenses were authorized, whether certain transactions constituted legitimate business expenses, and whether the defendant had authority to authorize particular payments. Your attorney can present evidence of corporate authorization, industry practices, and legitimate business purposes for questioned transactions.
Individuals in fiduciary relationships—positions of special trust and confidence—face particularly serious consequences when charged with embezzlement. Fiduciaries include trustees managing trust assets, power of attorney holders managing another’s finances, guardians or conservators responsible for dependent’s assets, financial advisors and investment managers, and estate executors and administrators.
The law holds fiduciaries to the highest standards of care and loyalty. However, complex investment strategies, legitimate fee structures, and discretionary authority can sometimes be mischaracterized as embezzlement. Careful examination of trust documents, authorization letters, and industry standards is essential in defending these cases.
Embezzlement from non-profit organizations or governmental entities carries special significance. California Penal Code Section 504 specifically addresses embezzlement by public officers, which is always charged as a felony regardless of the amount involved.
These cases might involve misuse of donation funds by non-profit administrators, conversion of public funds by government employees, misappropriation of grant money, or theft from school districts or public institutions.
Given Pomona’s status as a city with significant public institutions and non-profit organizations serving the community, these cases are prosecuted with particular vigor to maintain public trust. However, complex government accounting rules, unclear authorization procedures, and inadequate oversight can create innocent explanations for what prosecutors characterize as embezzlement.
The penalties for embezzlement in California depend primarily on the value of the property allegedly embezzled and your criminal history. Understanding these penalties is crucial to appreciating what is at stake in your case.
Embezzlement is a “wobbler” offense in California, meaning it can be charged as either a misdemeanor or a felony depending on the circumstances. The most important factor in determining the charge level is the value of the embezzled property.
If the property value is $950 or less, embezzlement is charged as petty theft under Penal Code 488. This is always a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in county jail, fines up to $1,000, informal (summary) probation, and restitution to the victim.
If the property value exceeds $950, embezzlement is charged as grand theft under Penal Code 487. This can be filed as either a misdemeanor or a felony at the prosecutor’s discretion. As a misdemeanor, penalties include up to one year in county jail and fines up to $1,000. As a felony, penalties include 16 months, two years, or three years in county jail or state prison, fines up to $10,000, formal (felony) probation, and substantial restitution orders.
California law provides for enhanced penalties when embezzlement involves particularly large sums. If the amount embezzled exceeds $65,000, one additional year in prison can be added to the sentence. If the amount exceeds $200,000, an additional two years can be added. If the amount exceeds $1,300,000, an additional three years can be added. If the amount exceeds $3,200,000, an additional four years can be added.
These enhancements can dramatically increase potential prison time in large-scale embezzlement cases. A defendant convicted of embezzling $4 million could face the base term of three years plus an additional four years for the value enhancement, totaling seven years in state prison.
Certain aggravating factors can result in harsher sentences even within the statutory ranges. California Penal Code Section 515 provides for enhanced penalties when the victim is an elderly person (age 65 or older) or a dependent adult with physical or mental limitations.
Additional aggravating factors that judges consider at sentencing include embezzlement from charitable organizations, sophisticated schemes involving multiple transactions or false documentation, abuse of a position of significant trust (such as a fiduciary), embezzlement that causes substantial economic harm to victims, and planning and sophistication demonstrating premeditation.
Beyond the immediate criminal penalties, an embezzlement conviction carries devastating collateral consequences that can affect your life for decades. These include professional license revocation or suspension for accountants, attorneys, financial professionals, healthcare providers, and others; permanent criminal record that appears on background checks; difficulty finding employment, especially in positions involving financial responsibility; loss of professional reputation and career opportunities; immigration consequences including deportation for non-citizens; and civil lawsuits seeking damages beyond restitution.
For professionals in Pomona working in fields requiring trust and financial responsibility, an embezzlement conviction can effectively end a career. This is why early intervention by an experienced defense attorney is so critical—protecting your professional license and reputation may be even more important than avoiding jail time.
Embezzlement cases often involve complex financial transactions, ambiguous authorization, and disputed facts about intent and ownership. Experienced defense attorneys employ numerous strategies to challenge embezzlement charges and achieve favorable outcomes for clients.
Embezzlement requires that you intended to permanently deprive the owner of their property. If you temporarily used property with the intention of returning it or paying it back, this is not embezzlement. Many defendants who face embezzlement charges fully intended to restore funds but were caught before they could do so.
For example, an employee who borrows from the cash register planning to replace it with their next paycheck has committed a violation of company policy but not necessarily embezzlement. Similarly, an executive who makes an unauthorized loan from company funds planning to return it with interest may not meet the legal definition of embezzlement.
Your attorney can present evidence of your intent to repay, concrete steps you took toward restitution, your financial ability to repay indicating the temporary nature of the taking, and documentation showing you treated the transaction as a loan rather than theft.
California Penal Code Section 511 explicitly provides that it is a defense to embezzlement if you took the property openly and under a claim of title in good faith, even if that claim proves to be legally incorrect. If you genuinely believed you had a right to the property in question, you cannot be convicted of embezzlement even if you were mistaken about your legal rights.
This defense commonly arises in cases involving unclear ownership, disputes about compensation or bonuses, confusion about what expenses were authorized, disagreements about property division in business partnerships, and misunderstandings about commission structures or profit-sharing.
For instance, a salesperson who takes what they believe to be their earned commission—even if their calculation was incorrect—has a claim of right defense. Similarly, an executive who believes company policy allows certain personal use of company property may have acted in good faith even if the policy was more restrictive than they understood.
Embezzlement requires fraudulent appropriation of property. Fraud requires intent to deceive or cheat. If your actions were the result of mistake, negligence, poor judgment, or misunderstanding rather than intentional fraud, you have not committed embezzlement.
Common scenarios involving lack of fraudulent intent include accounting errors or bookkeeping mistakes, confusion about which funds belonged to which account, misunderstandings about authorization or approval procedures, reliance on incorrect information from supervisors or colleagues, and sloppy record-keeping rather than intentional concealment.
Your attorney will examine the complexity of the accounting systems involved, whether proper training and oversight were provided, the presence or absence of efforts to conceal transactions, and your cooperation with investigations.
Embezzlement specifically requires that property was “entrusted” to you. If you did not have a trust relationship with the alleged victim, or if you obtained the property without it being entrusted to you, then embezzlement is not the appropriate charge.
This defense might apply when you had ownership or co-ownership rights in the property in question, you obtained the property through arm’s-length transactions rather than trust, no fiduciary or employment relationship existed, or the property was freely accessible to many people without specific trust.
For example, if you took property from a workplace break room that was available to all employees, there was no specific “entrustment” even if the property belonged to the employer. Similarly, if you were an equal partner in a business, property transactions might involve ownership disputes rather than embezzlement.
Unfortunately, embezzlement charges are sometimes based on false accusations motivated by workplace conflicts, divorce or custody battles, business disputes or partnership breakups, attempts to cover up the accuser’s own wrongdoing, or retaliatory allegations following discrimination or harassment complaints.
Your attorney will investigate the accuser’s credibility, motives for making the allegation, any history of false accusations, the timeline of the accusation relative to other conflicts, and whether the alleged victim has financial incentives to exaggerate losses.
The prosecution must prove every element of embezzlement beyond a reasonable doubt. In many cases, the evidence is simply insufficient to meet this high burden. Your attorney may demonstrate that financial records are incomplete, inaccurate, or unreliable; accounting methods were flawed or assumptions were incorrect; no direct evidence links you to the alleged misappropriation; alternative explanations exist for missing funds or property; or the investigation was incomplete or biased.
Corporate accounting systems, especially in small businesses, are often informal and poorly documented. What prosecutors characterize as embezzlement may simply reflect inadequate record-keeping, with no reliable way to determine where money or property actually went.
Embezzlement is part of the broader category of white collar crimes—non-violent offenses motivated by financial gain. Understanding how California prosecutes white collar crimes helps explain the approach prosecutors take to embezzlement cases.
According to the California Department of Justice’s White Collar Investigation Team (WCIT)[2], state investigators focus on complex fraud cases, money laundering, corporate fraud, and embezzlement schemes that have significant financial impact. The WCIT Program works closely with the Attorney General’s Special Prosecutions Section to target sophisticated, multi-layered fraud cases that harm California residents and the economy.
This coordinated approach means that larger embezzlement cases may be investigated by specialized units with significant resources and expertise. However, it also means that cases are sometimes built on complex financial theories that don’t account for legitimate business practices or innocent explanations.
White collar crimes including embezzlement represent a significant portion of criminal prosecutions nationwide. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics[3], white collar offenses comprise a substantial portion of federal investigations, though conviction rates and incarceration rates for these offenses tend to be lower than for violent crimes.
Interestingly, research shows that many embezzlement defendants have no prior criminal history and are otherwise law-abiding citizens who made poor choices under financial pressure. Understanding these dynamics helps your attorney present you in the most favorable light to prosecutors and judges.
Understanding how embezzlement cases are investigated and prosecuted helps you navigate the process and make informed decisions about your defense.
Embezzlement investigations typically begin in one of several ways: internal audits reveal discrepancies, suspicious transactions are flagged by accounting software, whistleblowers or co-workers report suspicious activity, victims notice missing funds or property, or banks or financial institutions report suspicious activity.
In many cases, employers conduct internal investigations before involving law enforcement. If you become aware that your employer is investigating financial discrepancies, it is crucial to contact an attorney immediately before making any statements or turning over any documents. Anything you say during an internal investigation can be used against you in criminal proceedings.
Once law enforcement becomes involved, the investigation may include forensic accounting analysis of financial records, interviews with witnesses including co-workers and supervisors, examination of computer records and email communications, analysis of bank records and financial transactions, and review of company policies and authorization procedures.
These investigations can take months or even years, especially in complex cases involving large sums or sophisticated schemes. If you learn you are under investigation, having an attorney involved early can be crucial. Your attorney may be able to provide information that prevents charges from being filed, negotiate a civil resolution that avoids criminal prosecution, or ensure that any statements you make are carefully controlled to avoid self-incrimination.
In some embezzlement cases, defendants are arrested without warning. More commonly, especially in white collar cases, prosecutors issue a criminal complaint or obtain an arrest warrant, and your attorney can arrange for you to turn yourself in rather than being arrested at work or home.
Having an attorney involved before charges are filed allows for a more dignified and less disruptive process. Your attorney may be able to negotiate the terms of your surrender, post bail immediately, and begin working on your defense before you even appear in court.
Your first court appearance is the arraignment, where you will be advised of the charges, informed of your rights, and asked to enter a plea. In most embezzlement cases, particularly those charged as felonies, bail will be set at arraignment.
Following arraignment, your case proceeds through pretrial phases including discovery, motions, and negotiations. This pretrial period is when most embezzlement cases are resolved through plea agreements or dismissals. Your attorney will review all evidence, file motions to exclude improperly obtained evidence, challenge the legal sufficiency of the charges, and negotiate with prosecutors for reduced charges or alternative resolutions.
If your case proceeds to trial, you have the right to a jury trial where 12 members of your community must unanimously find you guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Embezzlement trials often involve complex financial evidence, expert witnesses, and detailed testimony about accounting practices and business operations.
These trials can last days or even weeks, depending on the complexity of the case. Your attorney will present your defense, cross-examine the prosecution’s witnesses, and argue that the evidence does not prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
When facing embezzlement charges, your choice of attorney can determine whether you go to prison or maintain your freedom, whether you keep your professional license or lose your career, and whether you preserve your reputation or suffer permanent damage. Here’s why Pomona residents trust Tu Defensor Criminalista with their most serious legal challenges.
California’s embezzlement laws are complex, involving intricate questions about intent, authorization, ownership, and fiduciary duties. Successfully defending embezzlement cases requires in-depth knowledge of Penal Code provisions, case law interpreting these statutes, accounting principles and financial analysis, and effective strategies for challenging prosecution evidence.
Our attorneys have dedicated their careers to mastering white collar criminal defense and staying current with changes and developments in California law. This specialized expertise makes a critical difference in outcomes.
Embezzlement cases are fundamentally different from street crimes. They require attorneys who understand business operations, financial systems, accounting practices, and industry standards. We work with forensic accountants and financial experts to analyze complex transactions and present alternative explanations for questioned conduct.
Whether your case involves retail operations, healthcare billing, manufacturing inventory, or financial services, we have the knowledge to understand the industry context and present effective defenses.
We regularly appear in Pomona Superior Court and have established working relationships with prosecutors, judges, and court personnel handling white collar cases. This local knowledge allows us to navigate your case more effectively than attorneys unfamiliar with the Pomona court system.
We know which prosecutors are open to reasonable negotiations, which judges are sympathetic to certain defenses, and how to position your case for the best possible result in this specific venue.
We believe that the best defense combines aggressive investigation and litigation with strategic negotiation skills. We don’t simply accept the prosecution’s version of events. We conduct our own investigations, retain expert witnesses, file strategic motions, and build powerful defenses.
At the same time, we maintain professional relationships with prosecutors that allow us to negotiate favorable outcomes when appropriate. Many embezzlement cases can be resolved through restitution agreements, reduced charges, or alternative sentencing that avoids prison time.
For many clients, protecting their professional license and reputation is even more important than avoiding jail time. We understand that an embezzlement conviction can end careers in accounting, finance, healthcare, law, and other licensed professions.
We work strategically to achieve outcomes that minimize damage to your professional standing, including seeking charges or dispositions that don’t trigger automatic license revocation, negotiating terms that allow you to maintain professional credentials, and presenting mitigating evidence to licensing boards.
When you hire Tu Defensor Criminalista, you are not just another case number. We take the time to understand your unique situation, your concerns, and your goals. We keep you informed at every stage of your case and ensure you understand your options.
You will have direct access to your attorney, and we will be responsive to your questions and concerns throughout the legal process. Facing embezzlement charges is stressful and frightening—you deserve an attorney who treats you with respect and compassion while fighting vigorously for your rights.
We proudly serve Pomona’s diverse community with bilingual legal services in English and Spanish. Language should never be a barrier to quality legal representation, and we ensure that Spanish-speaking clients fully understand their rights, the charges against them, and their legal options.
Given Pomona’s demographic composition, with a significant Latino population, having attorneys who can communicate effectively in Spanish is essential. We are committed to providing culturally competent, linguistically accessible legal services to all members of our community.
If you have been arrested or charged with embezzlement in Pomona, or if you learn that you are under investigation, taking the right steps immediately can significantly impact the outcome of your case.
Do not make any statements to law enforcement, employers, or anyone else about the allegations against you without first consulting with an attorney. Embezzlement investigations involve complex financial transactions, and even innocent explanations can be twisted and used against you.
Police and employers may tell you that cooperation will help you, that you should “just explain what happened,” or that things will go easier if you’re honest. Do not fall for these tactics. Invoke your right to remain silent and request an attorney immediately.
The sooner you have an attorney involved in your case, the better your chances of a favorable outcome. Early attorney involvement allows us to preserve evidence favorable to your defense, prevent you from making damaging statements, begin negotiations with prosecutors before charges are filed, and potentially resolve the matter civilly without criminal prosecution.
In many embezzlement cases, employers are primarily concerned with recovering their money. If we can negotiate restitution before criminal charges are filed, we may be able to prevent prosecution entirely or secure significantly reduced charges.
If you have any documents, emails, text messages, or other records relevant to the allegations, preserve them carefully and provide them to your attorney. Do not destroy any documents, delete emails, or alter records—doing so could result in additional charges for obstruction of justice or destruction of evidence.
Your attorney will review these materials and determine which ones support your defense and should be presented to prosecutors or retained for trial.
Conversations with friends, family, co-workers, or anyone other than your attorney are not privileged and can be used against you. Never discuss your case on recorded jail phone lines, in text messages or emails, or on social media. Prosecutors routinely review these communications and use them as evidence.
Even discussions with spouses can be problematic, as spouses can be compelled to testify against you in certain circumstances. Limit your discussions of the case to privileged communications with your attorney.
If you did take money or property that you should not have taken, making restitution before or during criminal proceedings can significantly improve your outcome. Courts view defendants who take responsibility and make victims whole much more favorably than those who deny everything despite overwhelming evidence.
Your attorney can help you structure a restitution plan that demonstrates accountability while preserving your legal defenses and positioning your case for the most lenient possible resolution.
Embezzlement charges are often filed alongside or instead of other related offenses. Understanding these related crimes helps you grasp the full scope of potential charges you may face.
Grand theft is the unlawful taking of property valued at more than $950. Embezzlement is technically a form of theft, but it specifically involves property that was entrusted to the defendant. Prosecutors sometimes charge both grand theft and embezzlement for the same conduct, or they may reduce embezzlement charges to grand theft during plea negotiations.
This offense involves obtaining property through intentional false representations. It overlaps with embezzlement when defendants are accused of obtaining access to property through lies or misrepresentations and then misappropriating it.
Forgery involves creating, altering, or using false documents. Embezzlement cases often include forgery charges when defendants are accused of creating false invoices, altering financial records, or forging signatures to facilitate the embezzlement.
Money laundering involves conducting financial transactions designed to conceal the source of illegally obtained funds. Large-scale embezzlement cases may include money laundering charges if prosecutors allege you attempted to hide embezzled funds through complex financial transactions.
This statute specifically addresses embezzlement or misappropriation of public funds by government officials or employees. It carries particularly serious penalties due to the violation of public trust involved.
If you are convicted of embezzlement, California law provides options for clearing your record under certain circumstances. Understanding these options is important for minimizing the long-term impact of a conviction.
Under California Penal Code Section 1203.4, you may be eligible to have an embezzlement conviction expunged from your record if you successfully complete probation, you are not currently facing charges for another offense, you are not currently on probation for another offense, and you are not currently serving a sentence for another offense.
An expungement allows you to withdraw your guilty or no contest plea and enter a not guilty plea, after which the court dismisses the case. This releases you from most penalties and disabilities arising from the conviction, though it does not restore rights that were lost as a result of the conviction (such as the right to hold public office if that was lost).
Importantly, expunged convictions must still be disclosed in applications for government jobs, professional licenses, and some other positions. However, for most private employment purposes, you can legally state that you have not been convicted of the crime.
For felony convictions, you may eventually seek a Certificate of Rehabilitation, which is a court order declaring that you have been rehabilitated. This certificate can lead to a Governor’s Pardon, which restores various rights and demonstrates rehabilitation to employers and licensing boards.
Understanding Pomona’s economic landscape helps explain the contexts in which embezzlement cases arise. Pomona is a diverse city with a 2023 population of approximately 148,000 people and a median household income of $78,869[1]. The city’s economy employs nearly 70,000 people across diverse sectors.
The largest industries in Pomona are retail trade (employing 8,687 people), health care and social assistance (8,083 people), and manufacturing (7,513 people). This economic diversity means that embezzlement cases can arise in virtually any business context—from small retail shops to healthcare facilities to manufacturing operations.
Additionally, Cal Poly Pomona generates $[4]1.5 [4]billion in economic activity in the Los Angeles region[4] and supports more than 11,000 jobs. The presence of this major university means significant financial transactions flow through educational institutions, creating additional contexts where embezzlement allegations can arise.
California’s business environment is robust, with 4.3 million small businesses representing 99.8% of all businesses in the state[5]. These small businesses employ 7.6 million Californians, and many operate with informal accounting systems and limited internal controls—creating environments where misunderstandings about authorization and ownership can easily occur.
The key difference is that embezzlement involves property that was entrusted to you, while theft involves taking property without permission. If you had lawful access to the property because of your job or position of trust, and you’re accused of misappropriating it, that’s embezzlement. If you took property, you never had permission to possess, that’s theft.
Yes. Intent to repay does not negate the crime of embezzlement under California law. However, evidence of intent to repay can be relevant to showing you lacked the intent to permanently deprive the owner, which is an element of the offense. It can also be powerful mitigation evidence during sentencing or negotiations.
Honest mistakes are not embezzlement. Embezzlement requires fraudulent intent—you must have intentionally misappropriated the property knowing you were not authorized to do so. If you made an accounting error, misunderstood authorization procedures, or exercised poor judgment but did not intend to defraud anyone, you have a strong defense.
It depends on the value of the property and whether the charge is filed as a misdemeanor or felony. Misdemeanor embezzlement carries up to one year in county jail. Felony embezzlement carries 16 months to three years in county jail or state prison, with additional time possible for large amounts or aggravating factors.
Possibly. Many professional licensing boards consider embezzlement convictions as involving moral turpitude or dishonesty, which can result in license suspension or revocation. However, the specific consequences depend on your profession, the licensing board’s regulations, and the nature of the offense. An experienced attorney can help minimize these consequences.
Yes. Civil liability is separate from criminal liability. Even if you are acquitted of criminal charges or charges are dismissed, your employer can sue you in civil court for conversion, breach of fiduciary duty, or other claims. However, a criminal acquittal can make it more difficult for them to prove a civil case.
False accusations do occur, sometimes to cover up the accuser’s own embezzlement, tax fraud, or other illegal activity. Your attorney will investigate the accuser’s credibility, financial motives, and any evidence suggesting ulterior motives for the accusation. In some cases, counterclaims may be appropriate.
Not without an attorney. While cooperation can sometimes be beneficial, making statements without legal counsel is almost always a mistake. Your attorney can determine what, if any, cooperation is appropriate and can ensure that any cooperation is done strategically to benefit your case rather than harm it.
Possibly. Many embezzlement cases are resolved through negotiated plea agreements that reduce charges to lesser offenses or achieve dismissals in exchange for restitution. The viability of these options depends on the strength of the evidence, your criminal history, the amount allegedly embezzled, and your attorney’s negotiation skills.
It varies widely. Simple misdemeanor cases might resolve in a few months. Complex felony cases involving large amounts and extensive financial records can take a year or more. Your attorney can give you a better estimate based on the specific facts of your case and the court’s calendar.
Remember:
Attorney Armando Josué Cespedes is rated 5.0 on Avvo, with 34 five-star reviews from clients praising his dedication, professionalism, and results. Many note how his trial skills and attention to detail led to reduced charges or outright dismissals.
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