Galveston White-Collar Crime Lawyer
White-Collar Crime Attorney In Galveston, TX
The term “white-collar crime” is broadly applied to criminal offenses that are typically financial in nature. These offenses include various types of fraud, unfair business practices, and regulatory violations that, while largely nonviolent, can be tremendously damaging, sometimes to many victims. If you have been charged with any such offense, you need to speak to a skilled Galveston white-collar crime lawyer at your first opportunity.
Experienced Criminal Defense Counsel for White-Collar Crimes in Galveston, TX
An experienced white-collar crime attorney can provide comprehensive support through all stages of your criminal case, from initial investigation and formally filed charges to fighting to defend you in the courtroom or negotiating a plea deal if necessary. The team at Hochglaube & DeBorde, P.C., has extensive experience handling difficult white-collar criminal defense in Galveston, and we are ready to put this experience to work in your case.
Galveston is not only a major tourist destination, but also an industrial hub hosting companies like American National Insurance Co. and Landry’s, Inc., as well as the home of Texas A&M University at Galveston. It’s possible for white-collar criminal cases to involve individuals as well as businesses, and these cases are sometimes prosecuted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) or Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
When you are charged with a crime or when your business is under criminal investigation, the first steps you take in this situation are crucial. Most law enforcement agencies that pursue white-collar crimes build these cases gradually over time, gathering evidence until they believe their case is strong enough to move to formally file charges. You need a Galveston white-collar crime lawyer on your side to build the strongest possible defense.
Understanding White-Collar Crimes in Galveston
White-collar crimes are often prosecuted at the federal level crime. It is also possible for state and local law enforcement agencies to coordinate with federal agencies in these cases, and many white-collar crime cases are built gradually over months or even years before any arrests occur. When unfair business practices, fraud, or any malfeasance involving corporate securities occurs, it’s likely that federal law enforcement will spearhead the criminal investigation.
According to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, a nonprofit data research project that was founded in 1989 at Syracuse University, US attorney offices throughout the country filed 4,332 white-collar criminal prosecutions during fiscal year 2024. Government officials have only filed prosecutions for 30% to 50% of cases referred to the Department of Justice since 1986, and so far in fiscal year 2025, this rate has fallen to only 24%.
During fiscal year 2024, out of the 4,332 prosecutions filed for white-collar crimes, just 44 of these cases were filed against corporations. The rest were filed against individuals. Some of the most common examples of white-collar crimes prosecuted in state and federal courts in the United States include:
- Fraud. This term applies to any activity meant to deceive for financial benefits. Check fraud, wire fraud, securities fraud, corporate fraud, and tax fraud are just a few examples of offenses that may be prosecuted by state or federal law enforcement agencies.
- Money laundering. This offense entails a legitimate business taking money, usually cash, from illegal sources to effectively wash it and hide its true origin. These operations usually involve agreements between criminal elements and business owners, and the business owner receives payment for performing this service.
- Embezzlement. This offense involves the personal use of company assets. Essentially, embezzlement cases involve employees stealing from their employers.
- Insider trading. It is illegal for anyone to exercise stock options using information that is not publicly available. This type of market manipulation occurs when someone is in a position through their employer to access information that will cause stock prices to fluctuate once it is disclosed to the public.
- Market manipulation. Businesses may engage in unethical tactics to secure favorable market conditions, limit competition, or even coordinate price-fixing schemes with other businesses.
- Tax evasion. This term defines any deliberate measures taken to avoid paying owed taxes or to hide sources of income to minimize tax liabilities illegally.
- Bribery. This offense involves a payment made to a government official or law enforcement agent for some type of benefit that is not usually provided to the business. For example, a company may offer a cash payment to a government official in exchange for supporting a policy that would be beneficial to the company.
- Regulatory noncompliance. Many large corporations are subject to regulations enforced by various state and federal agencies. Failing to maintain compliance can lead to fines and other penalties, but noncompliance issues could also reveal deliberate and illegal actions that can lead to criminal charges.
- Cybercrime. This is a broad term used to define any type of intentional illegal activity conducted over the internet. Identity theft, cryptocurrency fraud, phishing, and intentional data breaches are common examples.
These are just a few examples of white-collar criminal cases. Ultimately, many of these cases involve complex financial transactions, detailed digital records, and various complex laws that often involve government regulations. As such, most of these cases are handled by federal agencies such as the FBI, SEC, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), or the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
In every criminal case in the United States, the defendant is presumed to be innocent until they are proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt by a jury of their peers. Beyond a reasonable doubt is a much higher standard of proof than many people realize. It is your defense attorney’s job to prevent the prosecution from meeting this burden of proof, and it is vital to start building your defense with an attorney’s help as quickly as possible after charges have been filed.
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Former Prosecutors With a Long Track Record of Respect
Client Testimonials
Proven Results, Trusted Representation
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“Nicole goes above and beyond the “call of duty” both in and out of the court room. Her statement to us when my husband and I hired her was that she would treat us like her family. She most certainly has done that. It has been almost 5 years since adjudication and she has continued to help us with any need that may arise. In this world of uncertainty, there is no one else I would rather have as our counsel than Nicole DeBorde. She truly is an anomaly and has no equal.”- Kasie
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“I was on probation and got arrested out of town. I had an attorney at the time who told me I would go to prison for 2 to 4 years for Revocation of Probation. I found Ms DeBorde, who told me that she would fight all the way to make sure this didn’t happen. I hired her, and in the end, she did just what she said. I’m very grateful that we have people on this earth who care about others the way Ms DeBorde does. She is an honest straight forward super Attorney . Thank you, Ms. DeBorde.”- Michael
