Maryland Embezzlement Lawyer

Embezzlement is a very specific type of theft crime. It requires a fiduciary relationship between two people that involves the transfer of property, and then the abuse of that relationship for the benefit of the person in charge. The crime also requires intent, and this is where innocent people may find themselves in hot legal water for simply making a mistake.

It could take a Maryland embezzlement lawyer to prove that the accusations against you are groundless or that what you have been accused of doing was just a mistake. By hiring a hard-working attorney to represent your rights and interests in court and in front of law enforcement, you can defend against these false accusations that you broke the law.

Embezzlement Penalties

Since embezzlement is a type of theft crime in Maryland, the penalties depend on the amount of property that was allegedly taken. This creates a wide spectrum of potential penalties. The upper end of this spectrum is quite severe: If the value eclipses $1,000, then a charge of embezzlement becomes a felony-level offense that comes with more than a year in jail.

Even after the penalties are dealt with, defendants who have been convicted of embezzlement in Maryland might face a difficult reintegration process. Accused individuals are advised to speak with a skilled defense attorney to learn their rights and legal options when fighting embezzlement allegations.

Collateral Consequences

The collateral consequences of a prior offense of embezzlement can make it difficult to get hired in certain fields, notably those that regularly handle large amounts of money.

For financial professionals like bankers, brokers, or financial planners, a conviction for embezzlement can force a career change in the future that makes it difficult to enjoy the professional success that came before the accusation of embezzlement.

Both the direct and the collateral consequences of a conviction for embezzlement are severe. Hiring an embezzlement attorney in Maryland to defend against an accusation of embezzlement could be essential.

Fiduciary Relationships and Embezzlement

A key component of a charge of embezzlement is the fiduciary relationship. These types of relationship crop up whenever one person has enough control and authority over someone else or their property that the law places a legal duty on the dominant party not to abuse their position of power. Examples include:

• Investment bankers and their clients
• Trustees and the people or companies that they serve
• A legal guardian and their ward or child
• An estate executor and the assets they represent
• Attorneys and their clients
• Someone who holds a power of attorney over an incapacitated person

All of these involve a significant imbalance of power. In many cases, these relationships are voluntarily entered into by the weaker party to take advantage of the stronger party’s abilities. Whatever the case, the dominant party typically has the power and ability to betray that trust for their own gain.

Not every time that the weaker party suffers from the actions of the dominant party amount to embezzlement. Mistakes can happen that result in assets being lost. Stockbrokers lose their clients’ money all the time after misjudging the market and losing money in their investments. Not every one of these poor investments amounts to embezzlement.

A lack of intent to abscond or lose someone else’s money does not mean that the submissive party in the fiduciary relationship will not raise allegations of embezzlement. Retaining a Maryland attorney to defend against embezzlement allegations may keep them from getting out of hand.

Let a Maryland Embezzlement Attorney Help

If you have been accused of abusing a fiduciary relationship that you had with someone else and taking their assets, property, or money, you should seriously consider hiring legal help. If an accusation of embezzlement turns into a conviction, your future can take a significant turn for the worse.

By reaching out to a Maryland embezzlement lawyer, you may be able to take your future into your own hands. Call an attorney for the legal representation you need to beat these false allegations against you.