The 2019 college admissions scandal surrounding the infamous mastermind Rick Singer led to a noteworthy white-collar criminal defense case helmed by California attorney Candice Fields. Singer stood accused of orchestrating a scheme that facilitated over $25 million in bribes from wealthy parents looking to get their children into several top U.S. universities. It became apparent that at least 53 people were involved in the conspiracy, including 33 parents of college applicants and a number of college officials. Singer faced truly harsh consequences for this role at the center of the so-called ..read more

Most of us in Sacramento would agree that our business and income taxes should be paid on time and in full. Of course, situations can come up that make doing so undesirable or impossible. There is a point, however, when failing to pay your taxes can lead to federal tax evasion charges. WHAT CONSTITUTES TAX EVASION? Tax evasion occurs when a person or entity purposely avoids paying taxes or underpays what they owe. This can lead to criminal charges and significant penalties. Tax evasion is a federal crime per the IRS tax code. Ultimately, to prove tax evasion it must be shown that the ..read more

If you’ve been following the news lately, then you probably heard about the trial of Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes. Holmes was a Silicon Valley star who quickly became a billionaire after developing what many thought would be revolutionizing technology that would reshape the blood-testing industry. However, she quickly fell from grace once investors and investigators discovered that the technology used by Theranos was ineffective and Holmes appeared to have lied to investors and patients about its success. Now Holmes has been found guilty on multiple counts of fraud and many startup busine ..read more

If you have reason to believe you are under investigation by law enforcement officials, the actions you take going forward are of profound importance to your future. The first thing you should do is talk to a lawyer. A few mistakes you should avoid include: Talking to investigators without an attorney You may have nothing to hide and feel that talking freely to investigators will reveal your innocence, but this can be a serious mistake. Investigators with the FBI, IRS and other government agencies are skilled at getting subjects to make incriminating statements. A barrage of question ..read more

Candice Fields, a prominent California white-collar criminal defense attorney, achieved a significant victory in the court of public opinion through her representation of Rick Singer, the infamous mastermind and lead defendant in the “Varsity Blues” college admissions scandal. Singer orchestrated a wide-ranging, 25 million-dollar bribery scheme to help wealthy parents get their children into top U.S. universities. Despite the severity of the charges, the high-profile nature of the case, and a pre-existing plea deal that exposed Singer to a prison sentence of at least 15 years, Fields convinced ..read more

White collar crime charges carry stiff penalties and can change the life of the accused individual forever. But that said, white collar crime is a very loose term covering a wide variety of financial crimes, each covered by different statutes and carrying different potential penalties. COMMON EXAMPLES Generally speaking, the term “white collar crime” refers to financially motivated, nonviolent or non-directly violent crime committed by individuals, businesses and government professionals. The most common examples include: Mail/Wire fraud: These are terms used to describe the use of a physical ..read more

The majority of medical bills that people in the Sacramento area receive are at least partially paid for through health insurance. Many people have private health insurance through their employer, or they purchase on their own, but there are many others for whom Medicaid pays their medical bills. People may not understand the entire process of how Medicaid pays the medical providers though. Medical billing relies on the use of codes that state the type of procedure or treatment that was performed during a particular visit. Based on the codes provided by the medical provider, Medicaid pays them ..read more

During the height of the pandemic, the federal government gave out a lot of money to try to help businesses stay afloat. Although these funds were released generously, there were requirements that were supposed to be met when it came to using that money. And now, those who accepted the funds and used them in a way that didn’t comply with the law may be accused of fraud. For example, federal prosecutors are now aggressively prosecuting cases involving Restaurant Revitalization Funds (“RRF”) grants. These grants were issued to struggling restaurants to keep their doors open by off ..read more

The U.S. government has seen the rates of fraud skyrocket during the pandemic. That’s why the Department of Justice and other federal agencies have been aggressive in their enforcement tactics. Now, those law enforcement strategies are being amped up after President Biden announced during his State of the Union address that a special prosecutor would be appointed to investigate and litigate cases of alleged pandemic fraud. What the new proposal would do The Chief Prosecutor appointed would lead a strike force team of prosecutors who would focus on what they consider to be some of the most egre ..read more

A lot of people end up facing white collar criminal charges and criminal conviction because they don’t understand the law. They consent to a search of their person or their vehicle when they shouldn’t, and they sometimes offer information to the police that is subsequently used against them in court. This is why it’s important that you understand your legal rights and how to use them to protect yourself from overzealous police officers and prosecutors. One of those rights is the right to remain silent. When does your right to remain silent kick in? Your right to remain silent follows you aroun ..read more