By Graham Norris

The accountant who “borrowed” $5,000 from client funds to cover his daughter’s emergency surgery. The nonprofit treasurer who used organization money for groceries during a family crisis, fully intending to pay it back. These aren’t the scheming villains you see in movies—they’re ordinary Texans who found themselves facing serious criminal charges for what they believed were temporary solutions or honest mistakes.

White collar crimes in Texas cast a wider net than most people realize, and the consequences can be devastating even when there was no intent to permanently harm anyone. Knowing how Texas law defines and prosecutes these offenses could be the difference between handling a difficult situation and facing years in prison.

What Constitutes White Collar Crimes Under Texas Law

White collar crimes in Texas typically involve financial deception or fraud committed in business or professional settings. Unlike violent crimes, these cases often emerge from complex financial situations that may have started with legitimate intentions but went wrong somewhere along the way.

• Legal Foundation: Texas prosecutes most white collar crimes under Title 7 of the Texas Penal Code, particularly Chapter 32 (fraud) and Chapter 34 (money laundering), with penalties ranging from Class C misdemeanors to first-degree felonies
• Intent is Everything: Prosecutors must prove you acted with intent to deceive—honest mistakes, errors, or accounting problems that result in financial loss aren’t automatically criminal under Texas law
• Dual Jurisdiction: These crimes can be prosecuted at the state level by local District Attorney offices or federally by the U.S. Justice Department, depending on factors like interstate activity, dollar amounts, and whether federal programs are involved
• Penalty Structure: Texas bases penalties primarily on dollar amounts involved, with thresholds at $100, $750, $2,500, $30,000, $150,000, and $300,000 determining whether charges are misdemeanors or various levels of felonies
• Enhanced Penalties: Sentences increase if victims are elderly (65 or older), if you’re a public servant, or if the crime involves government contracts or Medicare funds

What to Do If You’re Under Investigation or Facing Charges

If you suspect you’re being investigated for a white collar crime or have already been charged, your actions in the next few hours and days will significantly impact your case’s outcome. Many people inadvertently damage their defense by trying to handle the situation themselves or by cooperating too eagerly with investigators.

• Never speak to investigators without an attorney present – Even innocent explanations can be twisted or taken out of context, and anything you say can be used against you later, regardless of your intentions
• Preserve all financial records, emails, and communications – These documents often tell the real story of your actions and motivations, potentially proving lack of criminal intent or showing legitimate business practices
• Don’t make additional transactions or attempt to “fix” the situation – Moving money around, altering records, or trying to correct perceived problems can lead to additional charges like obstruction of justice
• Contact an experienced white collar defense attorney immediately – Early legal intervention can prevent charges from being filed, help with interactions with investigators, and preserve crucial evidence
• Avoid discussing the matter with anyone except your attorney – Conversations with family, friends, employers, or colleagues aren’t protected by attorney-client privilege and could be used as evidence
• Determine whether you’re facing state or federal charges – The jurisdiction affects everything from potential penalties to available defenses, and federal cases typically involve more resources and longer sentences
• Don’t assume good intentions will protect you – Texas law focuses on your actions and their effects, not your motivations, so you need legal guidance to present your case properly

Common Types of Texas White Collar Crimes and Real-World Scenarios

Texas white collar crimes span a broad spectrum, from simple check fraud to complex money laundering schemes. What many people don’t realize is how easily everyday financial pressures can lead to criminal charges, even when the person fully intended to make things right.

Fraud and Its Many Forms

Business and financial fraud covers everything from submitting false loan applications to misrepresenting company information. Healthcare fraud—including billing for services not provided or double-billing insurance companies—often involves both state and federal authorities. Even document fraud, like altering checks or creating fake records, can escalate quickly based on the amounts involved. Credit card fraud charges can range from using someone’s card without permission to possessing card information without authorization, with penalties increasing based on the number of cards or accounts involved.

Embezzlement: When Trust is Broken

In Texas, embezzlement is prosecuted as theft, but it carries special weight because it involves betraying someone’s trust. Money can become a safety valve during unexpected medical expenses or difficult family situations. Sometimes people dip into funds they shouldn’t touch, even though they intend to pay the money back and make things right. A law enforcement officer who served as treasurer for a nonprofit organization found himself facing criminal charges after using organization funds for personal expenses. Even though he eventually replaced all the money that had been taken, the unauthorized use was still considered an offense under Texas law. The key issue isn’t whether money was eventually returned, but whether you had permission to use it in the first place.

Money Laundering

Texas takes money laundering seriously, defining it as knowingly handling proceeds from criminal activity. You can face charges even without knowing the specific crime that generated the money. The law considers all related transactions as one offense, so authorities can add up multiple smaller transactions to reach higher penalty thresholds. According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, money laundering cases have increased by 35% since 2020, with penalties ranging from state jail felonies for amounts between $2,500 and $30,000 up to first-degree felonies for amounts exceeding $300,000.

Identity Theft and Financial Crimes

Identity theft occurs when someone uses another person’s identifying information without consent, obtains records fraudulently, or creates documents to misrepresent identity. The severity increases with the number of items of identifying information involved—from names and birthdates to Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, and biometric data. Texas also treats tax evasion, forgery, and various forms of financial manipulation as serious white collar offenses with substantial penalties.

When Good Intentions Lead to Criminal Charges: Intent in Texas

The most heartbreaking aspect of many white collar cases is that they involve people who never intended to steal or defraud anyone. Yet Texas law draws sharp lines that don’t always account for personal circumstances or good intentions.

Under Texas law, even temporary “borrowing” without permission constitutes theft. It doesn’t matter if you planned to pay the money back next week or if you actually did return every penny. What matters is whether you had authorization to use those funds in the first place.

This harsh reality catches many people off guard. They assume that because they weren’t trying to permanently deprive anyone of money, they haven’t committed a crime. Unfortunately, the law sees it differently. The unauthorized use of someone else’s money—even as a loan during a personal crisis—meets the legal definition of theft.

Getting to the bottom of what really happened becomes crucial in these cases. Financial records and communications often tell the real story, showing whether someone acted with criminal intent or simply made poor decisions under pressure. Documentation can reveal legitimate business practices, good faith efforts to solve problems, or attempts to correct mistakes.

The timing of when you get legal help can make an enormous difference in the outcome. Many people try to “fix” problems on their own, sometimes making additional transactions that only complicate their legal situation. Others attempt to explain themselves to investigators without realizing how their words might be used against them later.

Business practices that seemed perfectly reasonable at the time can appear suspicious to investigators who don’t comprehend the context. Complex financial situations that made sense within a company’s operations might look like intentional deception to outsiders. Even attempts to solve temporary financial problems through creative accounting can trigger criminal investigations.

The key insight is that intent matters more than outcome in Texas white collar crime cases. Prosecutors must prove you acted with the specific intent to deceive or defraud someone. This is why the details of your situation—your mindset, your circumstances, your communications, and your actions—become so important in building a defense.

Take Action to Protect Your Future Today

If you’re facing white collar crime accusations in Texas, every decision you make right now will impact the rest of your life. The complexity of these cases means that evidence can be misinterpreted, good intentions can be twisted into criminal intent, and what seems like a minor financial misstep can snowball into felony charges.

Norris Legal Group knows that behind every white collar crime charge is a real person who made difficult decisions under pressure, not a calculating criminal. With over 3,600 cases handled, more than 400 dismissals, and 60 client no-bills, their team combines prosecutorial insight with a commitment to treating every client with dignity throughout the legal process. Contact Norris Legal Group today for a confidential consultation and discover how experienced legal representation can help you take control of your situation.