If you are accused of employee fraud, you may be worried about jail time and paying huge fines. The penalties for employee fraud depend on the amount stolen, but sentences include lengthy prison time, restitution, and significant fines. Your professional reputation will also be negatively impacted.
The Ohio fraud lawyers at Kademenos, Wisehart, Hines, Dolyk & Wright Co. LPA understand how to deal with such serious charges. Our experienced and highly-skilled criminal defense lawyers will stand by you and fight to get your charges reduced or dismissed, if possible.
Call an Attorney Troy Wisehart today at (419) 625-7770 for a free consultation. Fraud accusations do not mean you’re guilty. Let us help you.
Understanding Employee Fraud
According to Ohio Revised Code 2913, employee fraud is when an employee uses criminal deception against their employer for their own financial gain. It is commonly referred to as internal fraud.
For example, imagine a cashier at a grocery store. The cashier is expected to place customers’ money directly into the register, but instead, he pockets some for himself. Later, the cashier creates fake receipts so it looks like the customer requested cashback. In this scenario, the cashier used deception to steal from his employer.
Payment Fraud
Payment fraud happens when false payments are created to cover up theft. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Creating fake bank accounts, allocating funds to those accounts, and then making payments to themselves
- Creating false financial information to cover up employee theft
- Intercepting customer checks and payment orders and attempting to cash them
- Making payments to oneself using an employer’s account
Receipt Fraud
This type of employee fraud involves altering receipts to show that less money was spent. In doing so, an employee pockets the difference. Receipt fraud also includes simply stealing cash or checks that are directly handed in by customers.
Travel Fraud
An employee commits travel fraud when they attempt to get paid for non-existent travel expenses. For example, an employee may seek reimbursement for a non-existent flight.
Other instances of travel fraud may involve claiming:
- That money was spent entertaining clients
- Expenses higher than the amount spent
- Money was spent on a trip that was never taken
Employee fraud charges in Ohio often result from simple misunderstandings or poor accounting practices. You should now have to live with a criminal conviction because of an oversight.
Attorney Troy Wisehart can help you if you’ve been accused of or charged with fraud. Contact him today at (419) 625-7770 for a free and confidential consultation about what to expect and your next steps.
Workers’ Compensation Fraud
When an employee is injured while at work, they deserve to be compensated for medical costs, lost wages, and other losses. However, if an employee falsifies a workers’ compensation claim and receives funds to which they are not entitled, they may be committing fraud.
Workers’ comp fraud does not victimize only the employer. The State has an interest as the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) also suffers.
The BWC has a special investigations unit that looks into fraud. If a person commits workers’ compensation fraud, they face criminal penalties and restitution to their employer as well as the Ohio BWC.
An allegation of workers’ compensation fraud is a serious situation. If you are being investigated for workers’ compensation fraud, you need an experienced Ohio criminal defense attorney to make sure the BWC hears your side of the story.
Call Attorney Troy Wisehart at (419) 625-7770 to start building your defense today.
Consequences of Employee Fraud
The penalties for employee fraud largely depend on the value and the circumstances involved. All criminal convictions are serious, and employee fraud can either be a misdemeanor or a felony. Although the unique penalties for employee fraud vary, common consequences include:
- Between $500 and $5,000 dollars stolen – 6-18 months in jail or prison and up to $5,000 in fines
- Between $5,000 and $100,000 dollars stolen – 1-5 years in jail or prison and up to $10,000 in fines
- More than $100,000 stolen – 2-8 years in jail or prison and up to $15,000 in fines
