White Collar Crime Lawyer in Greensboro, NC
Need a white collar crime lawyer in Greensboro, NC? Accused of embezzlement, fraud or taking money from an employer? There is no misdemeanor version of these charges. Even one dollar is a felony, and at $100,000 prison stops being a risk and becomes the rule. The loss figure is argued, not fixed, and that argument is why you call a lawyer before you say anything.
Tell us what happened
Private. If you have only been asked questions and not charged yet, say so. That changes what we do first.
Sending this form does not make us your lawyer yet.
There is no small version of these charges. Embezzlement and fraud are felonies in North Carolina at any amount. There is no misdemeanor option to fall back on.
$100,000 changes everything. Below it a judge can give probation. At or above it, prison is the only sentence the law allows.
If you have been questioned but not charged, stop talking and call today. These cases are built from documents and from what people say in interviews before they think they need a lawyer.
- The charges and what they mean
- The $100,000 line
- If you have been questioned but not charged
- State Court or Federal Court?
- Does paying it back help?
- What does a white collar crime lawyer cost in Greensboro?
- How to choose a white collar crime lawyer in Greensboro
- Our criminal defense team
- What clients say
- Where we practice
- Questions people ask us
The charges and what they mean
White collar is not a charge. It is a group of them. These are the two you are most likely to be facing.
| Charge | How serious | What it means in plain words |
|---|---|---|
| Embezzlement G.S. 14-90 |
Class H felony Class C if $100,000+ |
Money or property reached you legitimately through your job, and you kept it or used it for yourself. |
| Obtaining property by false pretenses G.S. 14-100 |
Class H felony Class C if $100,000+ |
You said something untrue to get money, goods or services from someone. |
Notice what is missing from that table. There is no misdemeanor row. Unlike theft, where $1,000 separates a misdemeanor from a felony, these two are felonies from the first dollar. A $50 embezzlement and a $50,000 embezzlement are the same class of crime.
Embezzlement is about how you got it
This is what separates it from stealing. With theft you were never supposed to have the thing. With embezzlement you were. You were handed the till, the account, the company card, the client money. The crime is what happened next.
It covers people in a position of trust: anyone holding public office, guardians, executors, trustees, receivers, settlement agents, company officers, and any agent, clerk or employee. Only people under 16 are excluded.
False pretenses is about what you said
A statement that was untrue, made knowingly, to get something of value. It can be about something past, present or promised in the future.
One limit worth knowing. Simply failing to do what a contract required is not enough on its own. The law says so directly. Breaking a promise is not the same as never meaning to keep it, and that distinction is often the entire defense.
The $100,000 line
This is the most important number on the page.
| Amount | Class | What a judge can do, with no prior record |
|---|---|---|
| Under $100,000 | Class H felony | Normally 5 to 6 months, and the judge can suspend it and give probation instead. |
| $100,000 or more | Class C felony | 58 to 73 months in prison. Probation is not an option. The law only allows an active sentence. |
Read the bottom row again. At $100,000 a judge loses the power to give probation, even for someone with no criminal record at all. That is roughly five to six years in prison as the starting point. The felony chart is in G.S. 15A-1340.17.
Which means the amount is the case. How the State adds up the figure, over what period, and whether every transaction on their list actually belongs there, decides whether you are arguing about probation or about years. Those spreadsheets are built by people, and people make mistakes.
If you have been questioned but not charged
White collar cases are different from most criminal cases in one way that matters enormously. They usually start long before anyone is arrested.
What that looks like:
- An internal audit at work.
- HR asking you to come in for a chat about some transactions.
- A letter from a company lawyer.
- A detective asking if you would mind answering a few questions.
- A request to hand over your laptop or phone.
This is the moment that decides most of these cases, and almost nobody treats it that way. People explain. They think cooperating early will make it go away. Those explanations become the evidence. An interview at work with no lawyer present is still an interview, and it can still be used.
If you are at this stage, you are in the best position you will ever be in, and the worst position to handle alone. Call before the next conversation, not after.
The explanation you give today becomes the evidence tomorrow
Most white collar cases are decided by documents and by what someone said in a room before they had a lawyer.
If you have been asked to explain some transactions, or to hand over a device, speak to us first. That one call costs nothing and changes what is possible later.
Call (336) 379-0539Free consultation, answered 24/7State Court or Federal Court?
The same conduct can be charged in either, and they are very different places to be.
| North Carolina State Court | Federal Court | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | Guilford County Courthouse, Greensboro | Middle District of North Carolina, Greensboro |
| Typical charges | Embezzlement, false pretenses | Wire fraud, mail fraud, bank fraud, tax offenses |
| What often pulls it federal | Banks, the post, the internet crossing state lines, federal money or federal programs | |
| Sentencing | The state charts above | Federal guidelines, which work differently and are driven heavily by loss amount |
We handle both. That matters more here than on any other charge. A firm that only appears in State Court cannot follow your case if it goes federal. If a federal agency has made contact, say so on the first call, because the timeline and the first steps are not the same.
Does paying it back help?
It can matter a great deal, but not in the way people hope.
It does not undo the crime. Giving the money back does not mean the charge goes away, and it is not a defense.
What it does affect:
- How the District Attorney approaches the case.
- What a judge does at sentencing, particularly on whether to suspend a Class H sentence.
- Your record later. Outstanding restitution completely blocks an expunction, so money still owed follows you for years.
Do not repay anything without advice first. How and when it is done matters, and a repayment handled badly can be read as an admission. This is one of the few situations where doing the right thing in the wrong way genuinely hurts you.
What does a white collar crime lawyer cost in Greensboro?
These cases vary more than any other kind we handle, because the work depends on how many documents there are.
| What drives the cost | Why |
|---|---|
| How many transactions | The loss figure has to be checked line by line. A hundred entries and ten thousand are not the same job. |
| State or federal | Federal cases take longer and sentencing works differently. |
| Charged or still under investigation | Work before charges are filed is often the cheapest and most valuable stage. |
| The first conversation | Free. |
You get a straight answer on the likely range on the first call, including when we think the cheaper route is simply to act early.
How to choose a white collar crime lawyer in Greensboro
People search for the “best” white collar crime lawyer in Greensboro. No lawyer is allowed to tell you they are the best one, and any firm that does is breaking the North Carolina State Bar advertising rules. What we can do is tell you what actually separates a good white collar lawyer from a bad one, so you can judge for yourself.
| Ask them this | What a good answer sounds like |
|---|---|
| “Will you challenge the loss figure?” | At the $100,000 line this decides prison versus probation. It should be the first thing they raise. |
| “Do you practice in federal court?” | If your case could go federal, a state-only practice is a problem. |
| “Should I talk to my employer?” | The right answer is to speak to them first. Anyone who shrugs at this has missed the point. |
| “What happens to my professional license?” | The board process runs separately. They should ask what you are licensed to do. |
Ask us all four, especially before any internal interview.
Our criminal defense team
Jason Aycoth
White Collar Crime, Felony Charges, State and Federal Court
Jason handles criminal cases in state and federal court across North Carolina. He has served as Editor of the True Bill and was Commencement Speaker at Elon Law School's graduation.
- Former President, Greensboro Criminal Defense Lawyers Association
- Elected member, Criminal Justice Section, North Carolina Bar Association
- Selected to present the Wade M. Smith Award for Top Criminal Defense Lawyer in North Carolina
Chad D. GarrettFounderJason AycothPartner
Sean OlsonPartner
Brandon GoldsboroughCriminal Defense
Stephanie GoldsboroughCriminal Defense
Rebecca ElliottCriminal Defense
Patrick BidwellCriminal Defense
Samantha HeplerCriminal DefenseRelated charges we defend
What clients say
4.9 out of 5 from 587 Google reviews. A few recent ones:
Where we practice
Our office is two minutes from the Guilford County Courthouse, and we appear in federal court in the Middle District of North Carolina.
Guilford County: Greensboro · High Point · Jamestown · Gibsonville · Summerfield · Oak Ridge · Pleasant Garden · Stokesdale · Whitsett · McLeansville · Sedalia
Also serving: Randolph, Forsyth, Alamance, Rockingham and Davidson Counties
Questions people ask us
How do I find the best white collar crime lawyer in Greensboro?
North Carolina lawyers cannot claim to be the best. Judge on what they raise first. Do they go straight to the loss figure and the $100,000 line? Do they practice in federal court? Do they tell you not to attend an internal interview before speaking to them?
Is embezzlement always a felony in North Carolina?
Yes. There is no misdemeanor version. It is a Class H felony under $100,000 and a Class C felony at $100,000 or more. Even a very small amount is a felony.
What happens at $100,000?
The charge becomes a Class C felony, and for someone with no record the normal sentence is 58 to 73 months in prison. A judge is not allowed to give probation instead. That is why the amount is usually the main fight.
What is the difference between embezzlement and theft?
How you got the property. With theft you were never meant to have it. With embezzlement it reached you properly, through your job or a position of trust, and the crime is what you did with it afterwards.
My work has asked me to explain some transactions. What do I do?
Speak to a lawyer before that meeting, not after. An internal interview with no lawyer present is still an interview and what you say can still be used. This is the single most important moment in most of these cases.
If I pay it back, does the charge go away?
No. Repaying is not a defense and does not undo the charge. It can matter to the District Attorney and at sentencing, and unpaid restitution will block an expunction later. Get advice on how and when to repay before you do it.
Could my case go to federal court?
Possibly. Banks, the post, the internet crossing state lines, or federal money can pull a case federal. The charges are usually wire fraud, mail fraud or bank fraud, and sentencing works differently. Tell us if a federal agency has contacted you.
I broke a contract. Is that fraud?
Not on its own. The law says plainly that failing to do what a contract required does not by itself prove an intent to defraud. There has to be a knowing false statement. That distinction is often the whole defense.
Can a white collar conviction be expunged?
A Class H felony is not automatically excluded, so one may be cleared after ten years if the conditions are met. A Class C felony cannot be cleared at all. Outstanding restitution blocks either. See expungements.
Will I lose my professional license?
It is a real risk for anyone licensed, and the licensing board process runs separately from the criminal case. Tell us on the first call what you are licensed to do, because it can change which outcome is worth fighting for.
What does a white collar defense lawyer cost?
The first conversation is free and you get a straight answer on the likely range. These cases vary more than most, because the work depends on how many documents there are and whether it is state or federal.
Talk to a Greensboro white collar defense lawyer
If you have been questioned but not charged, that is the best time to call, not the worst.
Garrett, Walker, Aycoth & Olson, Attorneys at Law
317 South Greene St, Greensboro, NC 27401
(336) 379-0539 · answered live, 24 hours
Free consultation · Se habla español
This page explains North Carolina law in general terms as of October 2026. It is not legal advice about your case, and penalties and statutes change. Figures come from N.C.G.S. 14-90, 14-100, 15A-1340.17 and 15A-145.5. Federal practice is in the Middle District of North Carolina.