21 Apr 4 White Collar Crimes That Can Send You to Prison
“White collar” is a term that usually describes financial crimes. While many might think that the consequences for these crimes are light since they are non-violent, that is not true. Here are four white-collar crimes that carry felony charges.
Which White Collar Crimes Are Felonies?
1: Fraud
Fraud is knowingly using deception to deprive someone of their money, property, or services. In Arizona, fraud is a class 2 felony.
While some class 2 felony sentences can be eligible for suspension, parole, or pardon, this is not always the case with fraud. If the amount was over $100,000 or involved the sale of opioids, prison sentences are mandatory.
2: Embezzlement
Embezzlement is a type of theft that involves the misappropriation of funds. For example, embezzlement could mean taking money secretly from an employer or using a trust fund you manage for personal gain.
The charges for embezzlement are based on the amount of money stolen:
$1,000- $1,999.99: Class 6 felony
$2,000 – $2,999.99: Class 5 felony
$3,000 – $3,999.99: Class 4 felony
$4,000 – $24,999.99: Class 3 felony
$25,000 or more: Class 2 felony
3: Money Laundering
This doesn’t mean putting your money in the washing machine. Money laundering is the act of making money gained from illegal activity look like it came from a legal source.
In Arizona, money laundering charges can range from a class 6 felony up to a class 2. And when someone is convicted of laundering more than $100,000, they are required to pay fines of up to three times that amount.
4: Forgery
Forgery is the act of creating a convincing copy of a document, a gift card, a signature, currency, or even a work of art with the intent to use it for fraudulent gain.
Under the Arizona penal code, forgery is a class 4 felony. However, if the forgery was used to lease, rent, or buy a dwelling for purposes of trafficking, it is a class 3 felony.
Sentencing for Felonies in Arizona
A felony conviction in Arizona usually means serving a prison term. The length of the sentence will depend on the severity of the crime as well as the number of previous convictions.
| 1st Offense | 2nd Offense | 3 or more | |
| Class 6 | 3 months – 2 years | 9 months – 2.9 years | 2.3 years – 5.9 years |
| Class 5 | 6 months – 2.6 years | 1 year – 3.9 months | 3 years – 7.6 years |
| Class 4 | 1 year – 3.9 years | 2.3 years – 7.6 years | 6 years – 15 years |
| Class 3 | 2 years – 8.9 years | 3.3 years – 16.3 years | 7.6 years – 25 years |
| Class 2 | 3 years – 12.6 years | 4.6 years – 23 years | 10.6 years – 35 years |
Facing Felony Charges? You Need a Certified Defense Attorney
Fighting a felony is never something you should do on your own. Representing yourself in court can have all kinds of unseen outcomes. Most of the time, it leads to longer incarceration and much higher penalties than if you had hired a lawyer.
Only a certified criminal defense attorney has the experience and knowledge it takes to fight felony charges and secure the best possible outcome, no matter what. If you are facing a felony in Arizona, contact the Coolidge Law Firm to schedule a consultation.
Photo by Carrie Allen www.carrieallen.com on Unsplash used with permission under the Creative Commons license for commercial use 4/14/26.