When your boss called you down to their office for a meeting, you may have thought it was about rescheduling your upcoming vacation. Instead, they informed you that they had evidence you had embezzled from the company. At that point, police officers came to arrest you, and your boss notified you that they were going to terminate your employment.
Now, you don’t have a job and you find yourself facing criminal charges. You know you didn’t steal from your employer. What are some of the ways that you can defend yourself against those allegations in court?
Prove that you didn’t have the access or control necessary
Perhaps the simplest way to show that you did not commit a crime is to prove that you would not have the opportunity to do so. If you did not have access to the expense accounts or the authority to instruct other workers to send a wire transfer, it is unlikely that you could commit significant embezzlement at your job without someone noticing right away.
Bring in a financial expert
There are specialists, known as forensic accountants, who specialize in going over financial records to find discrepancies and red flags of financial misconduct. Hiring a forensic accountant can be an important step for someone facing allegations of financial misconduct, as what the forensic accountant uncovers could conclusively prove that you did not have anything to do with the fraudulent transfers or missing assets.
Connect someone else to the crime
You don’t have to solve the mystery of where the money went to avoid a conviction in criminal court. You only have to present a convincing alternative theory that creates a reasonable doubt in the mind of the jurors.
If there is someone else with access to those accounts or with a reason to want to bring you for that embezzlement, possibly to hide their own misconduct, presenting an alternative theory of the crime could help you avoid a conviction.
Seeking experienced legal guidance to explore different tactics for defending yourself against embezzlement charges can help you create the best strategy for your specific circumstances.