ANNE ARUNDEL, CALVERT, CHARLES, ST. MARY’S & PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTIES.
Embezzlement & Theft Defense | Haskell & Dyer
Sometimes It's a Crime. Sometimes It's a Dispute the Company Decided to Call a Crime.
An accusation of taking from an employer or client often starts as an internal investigation. We challenge the accounting, the access, and whether the conduct was a crime at all or a dispute dressed up as one.
If HR or an Investigator Wants to Meet
Do not give a statement to your employer's investigators.
These cases often begin inside the company, with an interview framed as a chance to "explain." What you say there can become the foundation of a criminal case and is not protected the way you might think. Decline to give a statement, ask for a lawyer, and call before that meeting, not after.
The Question Underneath the Charge
A Crime, or a Dispute Reframed?
Embezzlement requires that you were entrusted with money or property and then took it with intent to deprive. Many accusations are really disagreements about authorization, accounting, or what you were owed.
What They Must Prove
Entrustment and Intent
The State has to show you were entrusted with the property and intended to deprive the owner of it. Authorization to access funds, and the absence of intent to steal, both cut directly against that.
Where It Often Breaks
The Innocent Explanation
Sloppy bookkeeping, a permitted advance, a reimbursement dispute, or a genuine misunderstanding about authority is not embezzlement. The records often support an innocent account at least as well as a criminal one.
What We Handle
Common Embezzlement & Theft Charges
From a workplace accusation to a client-fund dispute, we handle the full range.
Employee theft
Embezzlement
Theft by an employee or agent
Misappropriation of client funds
Theft scheme over time
Payroll or expense fraud
Breach of fiduciary trust
Felony value theft
What's at Stake
Your Record, Your Career, Your Reputation
An embezzlement accusation is a crime of dishonesty, and the professional fallout can be as serious as the case itself.
Felony
Felony exposure on higher value cases
Career
A dishonesty offense that ends careers
Restitution
Repayment often sought on top of penalties
Record
A theft conviction on background checks
How We Defend an Embezzlement Charge
These cases are built on records and access. We test the accounting, the authorization, and the intent behind it all.
We Challenge the Accounting
The numbers behind the accusation are often incomplete or wrong. We dig into the records for errors and innocent explanations.
We Examine the Access
Authorized access and permitted use cut against a theft claim. We press on what you were actually allowed to do.
We Attack Intent
A mistake, a dispute, or a good-faith belief you were entitled is not embezzlement. We build the record of what you intended.
We Engage Early
Stepping in during the internal investigation, before police, can shape whether a charge is ever filed at all.
Common Questions
Embezzlement & Theft, Answered
My employer's HR wants to meet about "missing funds." Should I go?
Not without talking to a lawyer first. These internal meetings are often the start of a criminal case, and a statement framed as your chance to explain can become evidence against you. You are usually not required to give one. Decline to make a statement, say you want to consult counsel, and call us before the meeting.
I had permission to use the money. Is that still embezzlement?
If you were authorized to use or access the funds the way you did, that cuts directly against embezzlement, which requires taking entrusted property with intent to deprive. Disputes over the scope of your authority are common, and what you were actually permitted to do is central to the defense. Authorization and theft are very different things.
It was a bookkeeping mistake, not theft. Can that be a defense?
Yes. Embezzlement requires intent, so an accounting error, a sloppy record, or a genuine misunderstanding is not a crime. Many of these cases rest on numbers that have an innocent explanation the company overlooked. We go through the records carefully to show the conduct was a mistake or a dispute, not theft.
The company says I owe the money back. Does paying it end the case?
Not necessarily. A civil demand for repayment and a criminal charge are separate things, and paying can sometimes be treated as an admission. Before you repay anything or sign a document, talk to a lawyer, because how you handle the civil side can affect the criminal exposure in ways that are not obvious.
How serious is an embezzlement charge?
It depends heavily on the value involved, since Maryland grades theft by amount, but even a misdemeanor is a crime of dishonesty that can end a career. Higher value cases carry felony exposure and possible restitution. Because the professional stakes are so high, an early, careful defense is important from the first sign of trouble.
Accused of Taking From an Employer or Client? Don't Explain It Alone.
These cases often turn on the accounting, your authority, and your intent, and the earliest moves matter most. Tell us what's happening and get an honest read on your defense. The first conversation is free and confidential.
Facing an urgent matter after hours? Call our 24/7 line: 240-687-0179
The Law Offices of Haskell & Dyer, LLC Practicing Law in Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles, St. Mary’s, and Prince George’s Counties.
The Law Offices of Haskell & Dyer, LLC Practicing Law in Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles, St. Mary’s, and Prince George’s Counties.
The Law Offices of Haskell & Dyer, LLC
Fax: 301-627-5848
Follow us:
The information provided on this website, in our blog posts, social media content, videos, or other marketing materials by The Law Offices of Haskell & Dyer, LLC is for general informational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice or establish an attorney-client relationship. While we strive to provide accurate and current information, legal matters are often complex and fact-specific. You should not act or rely on any information contained herein without seeking professional legal counsel directly from a licensed attorney. Contacting our firm does not create an attorney-client relationship until a formal agreement is signed. For legal advice specific to your situation, please get in touch with our office directly.