If a New Jersey resident faces allegations of a white-collar crime, it is possible that the person faces federal charges. However, such crimes can go through prosecution at the state level. In either case, these allegations can come with hefty penalties, so if you stand accused of embezzlement, it is crucial that you understand the ins and outs of your case.
In particular, when prosecutors move forward with an embezzlement or another white-collar crime case, the evidence of illegal activity can come in various forms. Typically, the court refers to the evidence as a paper trail. For your defense, understanding this evidence could go a long way in helping you and your legal counsel determine your best course of action.
What does a paper trail look like?
A paper trail will look different, depending on the details of each case. When it comes to embezzlement, a person or company may suspect a person of misappropriating funds — essentially stealing — from the person or company. Often, the first suspects are those in sensitive positions within a business, like accounting or bookkeeping. When it comes to looking for evidence of embezzlement from a business, the prosecution will likely review the following documents and records:
- Bank and credit card statements to review company spending and look out for any discrepancies
- Missing financial documents
- Inventory levels that do not match the records
- Unexplained changes in business profits
- Unnecessary or unexplained expenses in record books
- Unauthorized expense reports
- Unauthorized credits issued to customers or clients
- Several past-due accounts
Of course, these are just some examples of what evidence could look like. Nonetheless, issues with records or documents that appear to point to an employee possibly siphoning money from a company could act as evidence in such a case, especially if you had access to financial accounts or record books at your place of employment.
What does this evidence mean for you?
When defending against criminal charges of any type, you have the right to request and review any evidence the prosecution has against you. Understanding the paper trail details that will supposedly work against you could help you determine your best routes for defending against embezzlement charges. Of course, the legal details of such cases can prove challenging, so you may want to ensure that you have reliable and applicable information and assistance as your case moves forward.