White-Collar Criminal Defense

When faced with a white-collar criminal case, there is no substitute for an attorney who knows law enforcement inside and out. During his eight-year tenure inside the government, Jeffrey L. Cox, Esq. served as: 1) an Assistant United States Attorney responsible for prosecuting federal economic crimes, 2) a Special Assistant United States Attorney selected by the SEC to prosecute securities cases, and as 3) a SEC Enforcement Attorney. This experience provides our clients with a wealth of information about how the government conducts white-collar investigations, determines its charging decisions, and makes its sentencing recommendations.

The term "white-collar crime," which was coined in 1939 by a sociology professor, Edwin H. Sutherland, historically described charges committed by certain professionals, including corporate officers, stock brokers, lawyers, accountants, and public officials. Today, however, the term generally encompasses numerous non-violent criminal statutes involving fraud and deceptive financial gain regardless of a person's profession.

White-collar crime generally includes securities fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, mortgage fraud, health care fraud, bankruptcy fraud, insider trading, computer and Internet fraud, financial and accounting fraud, money laundering, tax evasion, conspiracy, telemarketing fraud, commodities and futures fraud, business opportunity schemes, tax fraud, identity theft, credit card fraud, FEMA fraud, perjury, obstruction of justice, criminal contempt, bribery, public corruption, and economic espionage and theft of trade secrets.

Grand jury investigations, criminal litigation, and criminal appeals involving white-collar charges are typically lengthy and complex. As an AUSA, Mr. Cox led large-scale, federal grand jury investigations involving numerous law enforcement agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service (IRS), U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Secret Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Among other things, his experience includes handling federal bond and detention hearings, proffer sessions, plea hearings, sentencing hearings, and federal criminal trials involving white-collar violations. Finally, Mr. Cox, who is admitted in both the U.S. Supreme Court and the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, handles both civil and criminal appeals.

Please contact Sallah Astarita & Cox, LLC for a free initial consultation.