Rockville Bribery Lawyer

Bribery is an example of a classic white-collar crime. A “white collar crime” refers to a crime which is typically committed by an office professional or political officeholder, which is usually accomplished with a pen or a computer rather than with drugs or guns. A person charged with bribery should consult a seasoned criminal lawyer.

A Rockville bribery lawyer can discuss the facts and circumstances of your charge with you and can help you formulate good legal defenses.

White Collar Crimes

White collar crimes usually involve fraud, bribery, insider trading, embezzlement, cyber (or internet) crimes, copyright infringement, money laundering, identity theft, tax fraud, or forgery. Environmental crimes may be considered white collar crimes.

White collar crimes such as bribery oftentimes violate both Maryland state laws, as well as federal laws, and the penalties upon conviction can be extremely serious. If someone has been charged with bribery in the State of Maryland, they may need experienced legal counsel on their side throughout the case.

Maryland Bribery Charges

A person may be charged with bribery in Maryland if that individual offers, confers, or agrees to confer or accept an unauthorized benefit from someone else. Bribery charges most often arise in the political context, where benefits are offered or accepted as consideration for the performance of official duties.
Bribery may be prosecuted in both the Maryland state or federal court systems. When a federal public office is involved, the alleged offense will most likely be prosecuted as a federal crime only.
In order to prove a case for bribery, the prosecutor must show that there was an offer of value made by the defendant to a public officer or official. The term “public officer” may include a number of different individuals, such as a state police officer or a judicial officer.

Prosecution Strategy

The prosecutor must then show that the offer was made with the specific intention of influencing the public official in the performance of their duties. The prosecution must be able to prove that the defendant actually intended to influence the public official’s actions, vote, opinion, decision, or judgment, in order to be found guilty or convicted of bribery.
The bribe has to be offered for a specific reason. In order for the crime of bribery to occur, the money or thing of value offered need not actually be exchanged. Any expression of the defendant’s ability to produce the money or thing of value is sufficient.
In many cases, the defendant may be charged with attempted bribery because an arrest can be made before the transaction actually takes place. However, in more complex cases where the police are notified ahead of time about the situation, they may choose to wait until something of value exchanges hands before making an arrest.

Potential Penalties Upon Conviction

Maryland state white collar crime convictions, including bribery, can result in very serious penalties, including high fines, criminal probation, and long periods of incarceration in a state prison. A knowledgeable Rockville bribery lawyer may be able to lessen the impacts of a white collar crime conviction.

How a Bribery Attorney Can Help

If you have been charged with or convicted of a white-collar crime in the State of Maryland, such as bribery, time may be of the essence in your case. It is essential that you have a knowledgeable Rockville bribery lawyer on your side every step of the way.