When your employer accuses you of embezzlement

North Carolina employers are on the lookout for employees who attempt to commit crimes. When suspicions rise to the level of legal accusations and investigations, you may wonder how you can fight the charges.

You may only know the term embezzlement from mob movies, that is until your employee levies the charge against you. The legal team at The Law Offices of Kevin L. Barnett want to help you understand what this crime entails and how you may want to prepare yourself for legal action.

The definition of embezzlement

Embezzlement may seem like an elusive white-collar crime only committed by high ranking people, but this is not the case. Anyone who works with money can find themselves in a sticky situation. Embezzlement occurs when someone who handles money for someone else takes all or part of it. This usually happens over time and through several channels to cover up the theft. However, the basic premise is the theft of money that passes through your hands.

Embezzlement examples at work

You may still not understand what this has to do with you. It may help you deal with the charges to read up on some common examples of embezzlement in the workplace.

• Siphoning – taking money without accounting for it in the computer system
• Check floating – cashing checks drawn on several accounts even when sufficient funds do not exist to cover the money
• Payroll adjustment – indicating on your timesheet that you worked more hours than you did, especially in the case of overtime pay
• Kickbacks – purchasing items from a particular service or individual because they pay you a fee for doing so

When facing embezzlement charges, it is a good idea to gather as much knowledge on the situation as possible. Access more insight through our webpage.