WILMINGTON, NC WHITE COLLAR CRIME LAWYER

If you are being investigated or have been charged with a financial crime, we recommend contacting a white collar criminal defense lawyer with Goolsby Law Firm right away. Whether or not charges have been filed, you should have a seasoned attorney on your side. Highly trained detectives or federal agents typically investigate white collar crimes, and, when they are ready, they hand the case off to experienced prosecutors.


With crippling fines and time behind bars among the possible penalties, these are not cases that you should handle yourself, nor put in the hands of an inexperienced lawyer. You need a trial attorney who can match the skill of anyone on the other side. Criminal defense attorney Thom Goolsby has been successfully handling fraud, embezzlement, forgery, and other white collar crime charges for decades. He tenaciously protects every client’s interests. With our track record of acquittals and minimizing consequences, we know how to help.

Understand White Collar Crimes & How to Fight Back

Learn more about white collar crime law in North Carolina and personally discuss your situation with Attorney Thom Goolsby. Call 910-262-7401, send a text, or contact us online to schedule a free consultation.

WHAT IS A WHITE COLLAR CRIME?

White collar crimes are financially motivated offenses. They are perpetrated to unlawfully obtain money, property, and in some cases, political or business advantages. These offenses typically result in economic loss, not physical injury. However, these facts do not mean they are taken any less serious by the authorities. White collar crimes, like fraud and embezzlement, are harshly punished in North Carolina.

HAVE INVESTIGATORS APPROACHED YOU?

If a local, state, or federal investigator has approached you about a financial crime, you should not answer any questions. Ask for the officer or agent’s card, but politely decline to answer any questions over the phone, in person, or at a police station or office. The only thing you should say is that you are happy to cooperate, but you need to speak to your attorney.


Attorney Thom Goolsby has nearly 30 years of experience defending while collar crimes. He knows that just because someone claims you did something, it does not mean it can be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt. Do not hesitate to call Attorney Thom Goolsby. He is available to answer your questions, represent you in court, and speak with state or federal authorities on your behalf.


Attorney Thom Goolsby is well-versed in North Carolina and Federal white collar criminal laws. He understands how law enforcement approaches and investigates these allegations and how white collar criminal charges often stem from mistakes or shoddy record keeping. Let Attorney Thom Goolsby advise you, protect your due process rights, and fight to clear your name and keep you out of jail.

TESTIMONIALS

“I lost my carry concealed permit due to the misapplication of the law by law enforcement. My guns were taken from my home, and my permit was suspended. Thank you Thom Goolsby for standing up for the Second Amendment and my gun rights. You corrected the mistake of law enforcement, and I got my permit back. I appreciate your skill and advocacy.”

Criminal Defense Client

“Thank you Thom Goolsby for helping me with my case. I heard that you were a super attorney, and I heard right! Thank you for your attention to detail and for helping me with this important matter. Your office was always available to assist me, and your care and concern meant a great deal to me. If I ever need an attorney again, you will be the first person that I call.”

Personal Injury Client

“Thank you for walking me through the process for getting my open container and underage possession of alcohol charges dismissed. You arranged for a very simple deferred prosecution. It was easy to comply, and my record is now clean. I appreciate your excellent help!”

Criminal Defense Client

TYPES OF WHITE COLLAR CRIMES WE HANDLE

At Goolsby Law Firm, we offer experienced and skilled white collar defense related to:

FRAUD

Fraud involves using deceptive behavior to obtain an unfair and illegal benefit. There are various fraud crimes under North Carolina and Federal law. Such crimes can be misdemeanors or felonies.


Common fraud crimes include:


  • Obtaining property by false pretenses (NCGS §14‑100): Class H or Class C felony
  • Possession or manufacture of fraudulent forms of ID (NCGS §14-100.1): Class 1 misdemeanor
  • Obtaining signatures by false pretense (NCGS §14-101): Class H felony
  • Obtaining property in return for worthless check, draft, or order (NCGS §14-106): Class 3 misdemeanor
  • Worthless checks (NCGS §14-107): Class 3 or Class 1 misdemeanor, or Class I felony
  • Defrauding an innkeeper or campground owner (NCGS §14-110): Class 2 misdemeanor
  • Obtaining merchandise on approval (NCGS §14-112): Class 2 misdemeanor
  • Forgery (NCGS §14-119 &120): Class I or Class G felony


If you are charged with any misdemeanor or felony fraud crime, contact a white collar criminal defense lawyer immediately.

EMBEZZLEMENT

Embezzlement is a type of felony fraud. It involves using a position of trust that gives you access to money and property to unlawfully appropriate that money or property with the intent to deprive the true owner of it.


Embezzlement of property received by virtue of office or employment (NCGS §14-90) is a Class H, Class F, or Class C felony, depending on the value and connection to the victim. For example, if you were a corporate employee, public employee or officer, or treasurer for a charity you could be charged with such a crime.

MONEY LAUNDERING

Money laundering describes false transactions that hide the origins of illegally obtained funds and illegal transactions, such as embezzlement, fraud, or the sale of controlled substances. North Carolina does not have a specific money laundering statute. However, these actions can be charged as various fraud crimes.


You can also face Federal criminal charges for money laundering. If you are accused of trying to clean illegally obtained money, call a money laundering defense lawyer right away. You may be forced to defend against several state or federal charges.

BRIBERY

In North Carolina, bribery offenses can mean several things. If you offer a bribe, then under NCGS §14-218, it is a Class F felony, whether or not the bribe was accepted. If you hold public office or have filed your notice of candidacy and you accept a bribe, it is a Class F felony.

TAX EVASION

If you intentionally try to avoid tax liability, such as providing state or federal authorities with false income information, you can be charged with a crime and assessed a penalty. Depending on the circumstances, you can be charged with a Class 1 misdemeanor or Class H felony, under NCGS §105-236(a).


When you are in trouble for your taxes and the authorities believe you were intentionally trying to defraud the government, the smart thing to do is call a tax evasion defense lawyer.

PUNISHMENTS FOR WHITE COLLAR CRIME

If you are charged with a misdemeanor or felony white collar crime, you need to speak with a veteran attorney about the potential penalties. You face incarceration, probation, fines, restitution to the victims, and more.


If convicted, your sentence will depend on the class of the crime and your criminal record.


For misdemeanors, you will be placed into a prior conviction level (I, II, or III). The higher the level or the more previous convictions you have, the greater the potential penalty. For felonies, you will be classified with a prior record level I through VI. The higher the level, the greater the penalty. The felony punishment chart also provides judges with a presumptive, minimum and maximum range of incarceration, as well as mitigated and aggravated ranges that can influence sentencing.

FEDERAL WHITE COLLAR CRIME CHARGES

White collar crimes are often pursued at the Federal level. You may face charges under:


  • 18 U.S. Code §§201-227: Bribery, Graft, and Conflicts of Interest
  • 18 U.S. Code §§470-514: Counterfeiting and Forgery
  • 18 U.S. Code §§641-670: Embezzlement and Theft
  • 18 U.S. Code §§1001-1040: Fraud and False Statements
  • 18 U.S. Code §§1341-1351: Mail Fraud and Other Fraud Offenses
  • 18 U.S. Code §1956: Laundering of Monetary Instruments
  • 26 U.S. Code §7201: Attempt to Evade or Defeat Tax


If you are convicted of one or more of these offenses, you face years in prison and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines and restitution.

DEFENDING AGAINST WHITE COLLAR CRIMINAL CHARGES

White collar crimes are typically driven by documentation, such as contracts, business records, accounting and financial documents, emails, private messages, and other records. Seasoned investigators and prosecutors will have worked on developing a paper trail of your alleged offense.


By the time charges are filed, or prosecutors convene a grand jury to seek an indictment, they may already believe they have a strong case. However, this does not mean you should give up and plead guilty or accept a plea.


Do not make any decisions before talking with an experienced white collar criminal defense attorney. A seasoned defense lawyer like Attorney Thom Goolsby will conduct a thorough analysis of your case to identify the weaknesses in the evidence. Whether it means demonstrating that you lacked the necessary criminal intent or working with independent financial experts to support the argument that your actions were legitimate business transactions, everything will be focused on building you the best possible defense in your case.

GOOLSBY LAW FIRM CASE RESULTS

VETERAN FACING CRIMINAL CHARGES FOUND NOT GUILTY OF TWO OFFENSES

July 6, 2021
VETERAN FACING CRIMINAL CHARGES FOUND NOT GUILTY OF TWO OFFENSES When a disabled veteran was found with drug paraphernalia and marijuana in his vehicle, he was arrested and charged. To make matters worse, the officer who stopped him also charged the man with DWI (driving while impaired) and open container in a motor vehicle. Wanting to avoid the harsh penalties that would come from convictions on these offenses, the man reached out to Goolsby Law Firm for help. Attorney Thom Goolsby took the case to trial, where the client denied the impaired driving charge. Working hard to protect the client’s freedom and rights, attorney Goolsby advocated on the veteran’s behalf. As such, the client was found not guilty of the DWI and paraphernalia charges. While he was guilty of marijuana possession and the open container charge, he was simply ordered to pay court costs.

ASSAULT CHARGE DISMISSED

July 6, 2021
ASSAULT CHARGE DISMISSED Recently, an individual in North Carolina found himself in some trouble when he was charged with assault after an incident at a nightclub. The individual denied assaulting the club’s bouncer, but still faced the criminal charges, so he reached out to Goolsby Law Firm for help.  Attorney Thom Goolsby immediately got to work on the case. Due to his quick involvement and swift action, the case was dismissed.
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READ MORE CASE RESULTS

CONTACT A WILMINGTON WHITE COLLAR CRIME LAWYER

Even though white collar crimes are financial rather than violent, does not mean they should be taken lightly. The best thing you can do to protect yourself is to work with a highly-skilled criminal defense attorney. Thom Goolsby is a fierce trial lawyer who knows how to make the North Carolina court system work to your advantage, including fighting to exclude inadmissible evidence and to establish reasonable doubt in your case.


Don’t let white collar criminal accusations ruin all you’ve worked for. Talk to Attorney Thom Goolsby about what to do next. Call 910-262-7401, send a text, or contact us online. We offer free consultations and will be in touch as soon as possible.

FREE CONSULTATIONS 24/7

CONTACT GOOLSBY LAW FIRM TODAY

Like any quality criminal defense attorney, Thom Goolsby may be in court when you first call, but leave a voice mail or send a text. We’ll get with you as soon as possible, so we can go over what happened, evaluate the case, and explain what comes next.

CALL 910-262-7401 NOW OR USE OUR ONLINE FORM