A white-collar crime is generally one that is non-violent and motivated by financial gain. These crimes typically occur in a place of employment and can include offenses such as corporate fraud, money laundering and theft of intellectual property. People may consider many white-collar crimes to be less serious than violent crimes since nobody is physically harmed; however, these crimes can still have some serious repercussions.
How can a white-collar crime conviction affect your career in Texas?
It can make you unemployable
Having a white-collar conviction on your record can make you unemployable in certain sectors. For example, if you previously worked in a position that required a security clearance, a felony on your record may bar you from holding that position ever again.
Even if there is no security clearance in question, employers may still be hesitant to hire you if they are aware that you committed a crime closely related to your line of work. If you are an accountant and commit money laundering, for instance, the chances of you continuing to work in a field that deals with finances are slim.
It can destroy your reputation
You might think you will have better luck looking for employment in another field after a white-collar conviction. However, this is not necessarily the case, since many employers are not willing to take the risk of hiring someone who they do not feel they can trust.
Being aware of the ways that a white-collar crime conviction can affect your career enables you to make better decisions in the course of your employment.