Accusations of embezzlement in New York City are taken very seriously due to the financial impact that the crime can have on the victims involved. Yet a perception may exist that such activity does not warrant harsh criminal penalties due to the fact that those convicted of it are often sentenced only to probation. However, there may be a reason behind such sentencing. Convicted perpetrators of embezzlement are often made to pay restitution to those that they stole from. Repaying that debt may be next to impossible if one is incarcerated.
Those who are given the chance to avoid prison time in order repay those that their embezzling affected may be wise not to squander that opportunity. Unfortunately, such appears to be what happened with the case of Michigan woman. She was recently convicted of embezzling in excess of $181,000 from her employer. While she originally faced charges that constituted a 20-year felony, she pled to a lesser charge in order to secure a reduced sentence. The decision to send her to prison in this case was no doubt influenced by the fact that she had been convicted of a similar charge 13 years ago. It is believed that she stole over $310,000 between the crimes.
The woman’s initial conviction resulted in her being sentenced to probation, during which time she was ordered to pay restitution. She will again have to resume those efforts (this time also owing for her second conviction) once she is released.
A subsequent conviction for any crime will almost certainly result in harsher penalties. However, with the right assistance, one might still be able to secure an acceptable outcome in such a case. Such assistance may be best provided by an experienced criminal defense attorney.
Source: The Detroit Free Press “Judge calls woman’s 2nd embezzling conviction ‘shocking’ and ‘astounding’” Hogan, John, May 03, 2017