White Collar Crimes Defense in West Palm Beach
White collar crime charges can destroy a career, a business, and a reputation in days. These cases often begin with a quiet investigation, a subpoena, or a knock on the door from law enforcement before any arrest is made. By the time prosecutors file charges, they have often been building their case for months. The earlier an attorney is involved, the better positioned you are to respond.
If you are under investigation or have been charged with a white collar offense in Palm Beach, Martin, or St. Lucie County, call Jeacoma Law today for a confidential consultation.Â
24/7
Emergency line
Free
Consultation
500+
Criminal Cases Defended
- WHITE COLLAR CRIMES IN FLORIDA
What White Collar Crimes Look Like in Florida
White collar offenses are non-violent crimes driven by financial motives. They usually involve deception, misrepresentation, or breach of trust within business, professional, or financial settings. Florida prosecutes these cases aggressively, and the penalties can be as harsh as those for violent crimes, especially when large amounts of money or vulnerable victims are involved.
Common white collar offenses include organized schemes to defraud, identity theft, embezzlement (charged in Florida as theft), forgery, money laundering, insurance fraud, mortgage fraud, and elder exploitation.
Key Florida Statutes
- Organized fraud and communications fraud (§ 817.034): The Florida Communications Fraud Act covers systematic schemes to defraud. Organized fraud, where a person engages in a scheme and obtains property, is classified by the aggregate value taken: $50,000 or more is a first-degree felony, $20,000 to $50,000 is a second-degree felony, and under $20,000 is a third-degree felony. Amounts from multiple victims or multiple acts within one scheme are aggregated. Each communication made in furtherance of the scheme can be charged as a separate count of communications fraud, a third-degree felony when $300 or more is sought. The court can impose separate sentences for the scheme and for each communication. Since 2024, each of these offenses has been reclassified one degree higher, up to a life felony, when the victim is 65 or older, a minor, or a person with a disability. The State also has five years to bring charges, longer than the usual limit.
- Identity theft (§ 817.568): Criminalizes the fraudulent use of another person’s personal identification information without consent. The base offense is a third-degree felony. If the benefit obtained is $5,000 or more, or if 10 or more people’s information is used, it is a second-degree felony with a 3-year mandatory minimum. At $50,000 or 20 victims, it is a first-degree felony with a 5-year mandatory minimum. At $100,000 or 30 victims, the mandatory minimum is 10 years. Florida further increases penalties when the victim is elderly, a minor, or has a disability.
- Mortgage fraud (§ 817.545): Making a material misstatement or omission in connection with a mortgage lending process. It is a third-degree felony and a second-degree felony if the loan value exceeds $100,000.
- Exploitation of a person 65 or older (§ 817.5695): Obtaining a senior’s property through deception or intimidation, or by a person in a position of trust. It is classified by value: $50,000 or more is a first-degree felony, $10,000 to $50,000 is a second-degree felony, and less than $10,000 is a third-degree felony. Not knowing the victim’s age is not a defense. Florida prosecutors treat elder financial exploitation as a priority.
- Forgery and uttering a forged instrument (§§ 831.01 and 831.02): Creating or altering a document with intent to defraud and passing it as genuine. Both are third-degree felonies.
- Aggravated white collar crime (§ 775.0844): Under the White Collar Crime Victim Protection Act, committing two or more related white collar crimes that victimize 10 or more elderly persons, 10 or more veterans, or 20 or more persons, and obtaining or attempting to obtain $50,000 or more is a first-degree felony, with a fine of up to $500,000 or double the gain or loss.
What Is at Stake
Common Defenses
Intent is central to most white collar prosecutions. The State must prove that the defendant acted knowingly and with the intent to defraud. Mistakes, misunderstandings, and good-faith business decisions are all relevant to whether the State can establish intent.
Lack of knowledge applies where the defendant was unaware that the representations were false or that funds were being misused.
Insufficient evidence challenges the State’s ability to prove the elements of the offense beyond a reasonable doubt through admissible evidence. In complex financial cases, the documentary record does not always tell the story prosecutors claim it does.
Valuation and aggregation are often contested. The degree of the charge, and sometimes a mandatory minimum, depends on the dollar amount the State can actually prove, and the State must establish that separate transactions were part of a single scheme before it can aggregate them.
Identity and attribution matter in cases involving digital communications, online accounts, or transactions that passed through multiple hands. Establishing that the defendant was responsible for the alleged conduct is not always straightforward.
Talk to a White Collar Defense Attorney
If you are under investigation or facing charges, do not wait. The earlier an attorney is involved, the more options are available. In some cases, early intervention before charges are filed can affect whether charges are brought, which charges are filed, and how the case is framed from the start.
White collar cases are built on documents, and the State’s summary of those documents is not evidence. Andrew Jeacoma reads the transaction records, the account histories, and the valuation the prosecution relies on, because the degree of the charge, and often a mandatory minimum, turns on a number the State has to prove. Call (561) 603-2203 for a confidential consultation. Serving clients in Palm Beach, Martin, and St. Lucie counties.
- PROTECT YOUR FUTURE