The Criminal Defense Law Center of
West Michigan

Embezzlement

Embezzlement Defense Attorney
Grand Rapids, Michigan

Embezzlement is, no matter how complex or complicated the scam, a crime of theft. One major difference between embezzlement and other theft crimes is that embezzlement often deals with large amounts of money. It also is a crime that requires a lot more investigation. There are some prosecutor’s offices that have special divisions for embezzlement.

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Embezzlement Charges

Most embezzlement cases begin when a company does a random audit or finds suspicious transactions that suggest criminal activity. The company will then confront the employee who they think might be guilty of this theft crime. We always tell our clients to never talk to police and to never talk to companies who are investigating this kind of crime. Even if you are innocent, you may give up evidence that will make you look guilty and thus more likely to face criminal charges.

Michigan Embezzlement Laws

The charges and penalties a person may face after being convicted of embezzlement in the state of Michigan will greatly depend upon the value of the property in question:

Property valued at less than $200: When the property in question is valued at under $200, a person will face penalties that can include a fine of up to $500, or 3 times the value of the property, as well as up to 93 days in jail. If the property was found to have been embezzled from a charity organization, however, the fine will increase to $2,000 or up to 1 year in jail.
Property valued between $200 and $1,000: In embezzlement cases where the property has been valued at between $200 and $1,000, a person may face a fine of up to $2,000 or 3 times the value of the property, as well as 1 year in jail. If prior convictions are to have been found, or the property was taken from a charity organization, a person may face a fine up to $10,000 and/or 5 years in prison.
Property valued between $1,000 and $20,000: If the property is found to be valued at between $1,000 and $20,000, a person will then face penalties of a fine not exceeding $10,000 as well as up to 5 years in prison. If the person facing charges has prior convictions or the property was taken from a charitable organization, these penalties will raise to a $15,000 fine as well as 10 years in prison.
Property valued at between $20,000 and $50,000: If the embezzled property is valued at between $20,000 and $50,000 in the state of Michigan, a person will face punishments of a fine of $15,000, or 3 times the value of the property, as well as up to 15 years in prison.
Property valued at between $50,000 and $100,000: For embezzlement cases with property valued at between $50,000 and $100,000, a person may face fines of up to $25,000 or 3 times the value of the property, whichever is greater, as well as up to 15 years in prison.
Property valued at $100,000 or more: For extreme Michigan embezzlement cases involving property valued at over $100,000 a person may face a fine of $50,000, or 3 times the value of the property as well as up to 20 years in prison.

Statute Of Limitations

The statute of limitations for embezzlement charges in Michigan is 6 years, which means that the crime had to have been committed within 6 years of the defendant being charged. This limitation is put into place for both felony and misdemeanor embezzlement cases, however, under tolling provision, the statute does not run during a time when the defendant does not reside within the state.

"Great Lawyers who get good results. Do not hire another lawyer without calling this law firm first. Trust me, I've dealt with several other lawyers and they charged me 10k and got me nothing. When I talked to Shawn he put me at ease and kept me informed every step of the way. He guided me through the process every single step. I will use him and this office again if I am ever facing another criminal charge."

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Criminal Defense Law Center West Michigan

Attorney Shawn Haff
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The Criminal Defense Law Center of West Michigan