Category Archives: White Collar Crime
Financial Crimes in Florida Businesses
People who want to be seen as perfect angels tend to gravitate toward certain professions, and business is not one of them. A certain Machiavellian streak can be useful in entrepreneurship. Likewise, being able to sound like you are 100 percent sure of things that you cannot possibly predict is a talent of many… Read More »
When Is Breach of Fiduciary Duty a Crime?
In many criminal cases, the person who accuses the defendant and claims to have suffered physical injury or financial losses because of the defendant’s actions is someone that the defendant knows. Consider that, in many cases involving sexual assault and illegal sexual contact, defendants have known the victims and their families for a long… Read More »
Forgery Crimes And Florida Law
The pastor of New Jerusalem Baptist Church in Pompano, is currently facing charges for financial crimes, as well as theft, drug possession, and possession of a stolen firearm. His case is still pending, but the investigation began when parishioners complained that he had an unfair amount of control over the church’s funds and claimed… Read More »
A Criminal Defense Lawyer’s Perspective On Romance Scams
If you are single and looking for love, it is easy to feel like you do not know who to trust, especially if you are meeting prospective partners on dating sites. People talk a big game on the phone and while exchanging messages, but when you meet them, they are much less charming. As… Read More »
Employees Of Florida Research Firm Plead Guilty To Falsifying Data In Clinical Trials
Sometimes it feels like there is nothing interesting on the Internet anymore, it is a case of “57 channels and nothing on” syndrome writ large. Everywhere you look, there are generic articles that sound like they were written by chatbots for an audience of search engines, and mindlessly sensationalist clickbait. If you need a… Read More »
Broward Sheriff’s Office Arrests Three Men On Suspicion Of Real Estate Fraud Conspiracy
Anyone who has ever bought or sold a house in South Florida knows that the process can be fraught with ambiguities. You have to sign huge volumes of documents to complete the transaction, and if you make a simple typo or other mistake on any of the paperwork, it can take weeks of work… Read More »
Four South Florida Men Receive Prison Sentences For Paycheck Protection Program Fraud
The financial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to linger. We are slow to break the financial habits we picked up during the pandemic, whether good, such as buying ingredients in bulk and cooking them at home, or bad, such as racking up buy now pay later (BNPL) purchases with little thought as to… Read More »
Palm Beach County Physician Gets Prison Time For Healthcare Fraud
Native Floridians are a rare breed. Most of the adults you meet in South Florida will tell you that they moved here either from another state or from another country; the families who have been in Florida for more than two generations are even rarer. Likewise, an enormous variety of plant and animal species… Read More »
Meet The Inchoate Offenses: Attempt, Conspiracy, And Solicitation
Sometimes a criminal court can find you guilty even if you didn’t do it. One instance where this happens is with crimes of omission, such as failure to report child abuse; failing to file an income tax return can also count against you in tax evasion cases. Another time when you can get a… Read More »
South Florida Caretaker Gets 51 Months In Prison For Stealing $300,000 From Elderly Couple
If you steal money from your employer, including but not limited to by diverting funds from the company account to your personal bank accounts, you can get criminal charges for embezzlement. If your job is to manage the finances of elderly people who are not well enough to make their own financial transactions, and… Read More »
Miami Doctor Gets Five Years In Prison For Healthcare Fraud
More than 100 people have a student loan balance of more than $1 million, and a substantial portion of these unfortunate borrowers are graduates of medical schools. Being a physician is a noble calling, and despite that it is one of the most in-demand professions, it is not always an automatic road to riches. … Read More »
Worth Avenue Art Dealer Faces Criminal Charges For Fraudulently Selling Replicas Of Paintings By Famous Artists
Prints of famous Andy Warhol paintings, such as the Campbell’s soup cans or the multi-colored portrait of Marilyn Monroe, can be found on the walls of every living room or diner in South Florida. You might not know the name of Roy Lichtenstein, but you would recognize his paintings, which look like enormous comic… Read More »
Delray Beach Man Gets 14 Years For Healthcare Fraud And Tax Evasion
Marc Sporn, the defendant in this week’s news story, was in the business of telemedicine and telemarketing before the authorities caught up to him. Telemedicine is one of those terms that, along with “contact tracing,” “herd immunity,” and “pandemic” itself, were little used outside the medical community before 2020, but which trended on Google… Read More »
Professional Poker Player Faces Criminal Charges For Operating Fraudulent Investment Scheme
Being naïve about financial decisions ranks highly among a lot of people’s regrets. The good news is that Florida students must now take one semester of financial literacy education before they can earn a high school diploma; lawmakers hope that these classes will help the new generation think through financial decisions more effectively, including… Read More »
Two Public Officials And A Banker Accused Of Conspiring To Steal Money From Miami-Dade County Through Fraud
In Miami-Dade County, there is always a reason to celebrate. From sun-drenched Christmas parties to celebrations of the music and cuisines of Miami’s diverse cultural groups, to simply opening the hurricane shutters and sharing a toast with your neighbors to celebrate the fact that you have survived yet another hurricane, there are always venues… Read More »
Three South Florida Conspirators Receive Prison Sentences For Fraudulent Purchase And Resale Of Baby Formula
Even if your children are well into the juice box phase of their lives, you have probably noticed that infant formula has been scarce on supermarket shelves in recent weeks. If you have seen even a single news headline this month, you know that baby formula is the most essential of essential items. Searches… Read More »
Florida Man Faces COVID Relief Fraud Charges After Attempting To Flee To Croatia
Croatia is one of the world’s most underrated tourist destinations. From its beachside resorts to its ski adventures, and its mild climate and reasonable prices, there is something for everyone to love. If you are wanted for a crime in the United States, however, Croatia is not the place to hide out. Like every… Read More »
Two Men Plead Guilty To Prescription Drug Coupon Fraud Scheme
Clipping coupons is perfectly legal, but there are some instances where it can do more harm than good. You might remember those reality TV shows about extreme couponers who would spend the equivalent of a full-time job researching grocery coupons and organizing them in preparation for a weekly shopping trip, only to end up… Read More »
Four Palm Beach County Women Charged With Health Insurance Fraud
Working at a medical office has its perks. In the old days, photogenic pharmaceutical reps would stop by several times per week to try to persuade doctors to prescribe more of their cash cow drugs, and they inevitably came bearing gifts of cupcakes or donuts for the office staff; kids who grew up in… Read More »
Coconut Grove Man Accused Of Money Laundering And Bribing State-Owned Companies
The high-rise condominiums of Miami are beautiful to behold, but many of them harbor ugly secrets. People say that, when you are rich, everyone is willing to let you buy things, with few questions asked, and if this is the case, then it is no surprise that many of the most sought-after real estate… Read More »
