What a Bloomfield Hills White Collar Crime Charge Means for Your Career, Right Now

An embezzlement or fraud accusation rarely starts with an arrest. It starts with a letter, an audit finding, or a call asking you to explain a transaction you barely remember, and by the time it sinks in, an investigation may already be underway. What you need to know is whether this ends your career, your license, or your freedom, and what can still be done before it hardens into a formal charge.

J. Dallo is a Bloomfield Hills white collar crime attorney with 17 years of practice in Michigan criminal law and a member of the State Bar of Michigan.

Getting an attorney involved early can open up more options for how a matter is handled, and we work with you to protect your record and your professional standing as much as the facts allow.

Tell us what you have been asked so far, whether that is an audit letter, a subpoena, or a call from an investigator, and we will map out where things stand and what your options look like from here.

From Embezzlement to Forgery: The Financial Crime Cases We Handle

White collar crime covers a wide range of financial and business-related charges, and each one is prosecuted differently depending on the dollar amount involved, whether the alleged victim was a private business, a nonprofit, or a government agency, and whether the case originated from a disgruntled business partner, an internal audit, or a regulator’s referral.

We handle these matters for Bloomfield Hills professionals and business owners, including:

• Embezzlement: taking money or property entrusted to you as an employee, agent, or trustee, charged based on the dollar value involved.
• Fraud and false pretenses: using deception to obtain money, property, or services, from vendor fraud to investment schemes.
• Forgery and uttering: signing, altering, or passing a false document with intent to defraud another person or business.
• Computer and electronic fraud: using electronic transfers, email, or online banking to move funds tied to an underlying financial crime.
• Money laundering: disguising the source of funds obtained through fraud, embezzlement, or another financial offense.
• Tax fraud and evasion: filing false returns or concealing income from state tax authorities.

What a Fraud or Embezzlement Conviction Costs a Bloomfield Hills Professional

Embezzlement and fraud charges in Michigan are charged by dollar amount, not by how sympathetic the story is.

Under embezzlement (MCL 750.174) and false pretenses (MCL 750.218), a case involving less than $200 is a misdemeanor, but once the amount reaches $100,000, either charge becomes a felony carrying up to 20 years.

Most cases fall somewhere in between, and the value a prosecutor assigns to the case, not just the underlying conduct, often can affect whether you are facing probation or prison.

The financial exposure is only part of it. A felony fraud or embezzlement conviction can appear on background checks run by licensing boards, employers, or banks, and it may affect a professional license or a position of financial trust.

What happens to the career you spent years building if a conviction outlives the sentence itself?

Michigan judges can also order restitution equal to the full amount at issue, on top of any sentence, which can follow you financially long after the criminal case itself is closed.

A Case Resolved Through Expungement in Oakland County

One matter we handled involved a client facing embezzlement and assault charges. We worked to have both expunged, which supported his eligibility for naturalization.

The facts of every case are different, and prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome, but the approach stays the same: identify what a clean record is worth to this specific client, whether that is a professional license, a security clearance, or a path to citizenship, and build the defense around protecting it.

Bloomfield Hills White Collar Crime Questions We Hear Most

What results have you gotten in cases like mine?

In one matter, we worked to have embezzlement and assault charges expunged, which supported our client’s eligibility for naturalization. Every case turns on its own facts and prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome, but that is what we work toward in every case.

Which court will handle my case?

A felony embezzlement or fraud charge for an offense in Bloomfield Hills usually starts in the 48th District Court, which handles the arraignment and preliminary examination. If the case is bound over for trial, it moves to Oakland County Circuit Court. Knowing which court and judge will hear your case helps shape the strategy from the first conversation.

What does it cost to defend a white collar crime charge?

Every fee depends on the charge, the volume of financial records involved, and whether the case is likely to go to trial. We review the specifics with you at your consultation, so you know the cost before you commit to anything.

How long does a financial crime investigation or case take?

An investigation alone can run for months before any charge is filed, and once one is, a felony fraud or embezzlement case can take anywhere from a few months to more than a year, depending on the case.

What happens to my professional license if I am convicted?

Many licensing boards may require you to report a felony conviction and can act independently of the criminal case, and requirements vary by profession.That is why resolving the criminal case the right way matters as much for your license as for your record.

Can a first-time white collar charge be expunged?

Michigan’s expungement law may allow some first-time felony convictions to be set aside, depending on the offense and the waiting period. Eligibility varies, so we review the charge and your record from the first conversation.

An investigator already contacted me, but I have not been charged. Do I need a lawyer yet?

Yes. What you say to an investigator or auditor before any charge is filed can become important evidence in the case, and an answer given without guidance is hard to take back.

If you are weighing any of this against a charge that has not been filed yet, the sooner we talk, the more options usually remain.

Talk to a Bloomfield Hills White Collar Crime Attorney Before You Talk to Investigators

You do not need to wait for a formal charge to start protecting yourself.

Contact Dallo Law today to schedule a confidential consultation about the embezzlement, fraud, or financial crime matter you are facing, and find out where things stand before you answer one more question from an investigator, an auditor, or a licensing board on your own.

Every conversation is confidential, and reaching out does not commit you to anything.