Defend your rights with a criminal lawyer. The Law Office of Lisa Pelosi, a New York criminal defense lawyer, wants to best represent your situation. Regardless of the charge you obtain, Lisa Pelosi will help you with your criminal charges. Lisa will help fight your criminal charges either by getting them reduced or dismissed outside the courtroom, or else by being at your side every step of the way. Her range of legal expertise includes charges related to drugs, domestic violence, embezzlement, and much more. If you are facing embezzlement charges, then let’s look below for some information on embezzlement in the state of New York.
What Is Embezzlement?
Embezzlement is a kind of property theft that happens when someone who is trusted to manage someone’s else’s money or property steals from them for their own personal gain. If only part of the money or property is stolen, it is still considered embezzlement. There have been many famous cases of embezzlement, such as the Bernard Madoff case, or Kenneth Law, the CEO of Enron. What makes it embezzlement is that the defendant had legal access to someone else’s money or property but didn’t legally own it. In the case of Kenneth Law, he was the CEO of the company, so he had access. Bernard Madoff also had access to other people’s money. When a person takes money or property for their own personal gain, it is stealing, and when it’s combined with the violation of personal trust, that is when it’s embezzlement.
How is Embezzlement Punished?
In the state of New York, embezzlement is punished in a few different ways depending on how much was taken. Below is a short description of what happens with each amount of money or property that is embezzled.
Less than $1,000
- A fine of up to $1,000
- Double the amount embezzled
- Up to one year in jail
$1,000 to $3,000
- A fine up to $5,000
- Double the amount embezzled
- Up to four years in prison
$3,000 to $50,000
- A fine up to $5,000
- Double the amount embezzled
- Up to seven years in prison
$50,000 to $100,000
- A fine of up to $15,000
- Double the amount embezzled
- Up to 15 years in prison
$100,000 or More
- A fine of up to $30,000
- Double the amount embezzled
- Up to 25 years in prison
If you are facing embezzlement charges, then contact a defense lawyer.
