possible criminal charges

[menis4u]

Hi,

I was put on a unpaid administrative leave today, I had used one of the company shipment accounts to some personal / business shipments over the period of 2-3 years. Apparently the amount is few thousand dollars. Internal Audit along with Security and HR interviewed me. i co-operated with all there questions and even offered to pay back any amounts that I have used. They appreciated and said we will let the authorities know everything. They will decide what will happen, if they will just ask the exact amount, 3 times the amount or file criminal charges.
I am on administrative leave pending further investigation, please let me know what should I do, and what should I expect, should i hire a lawyer or co-operate with them to solve the issue.

(EDITED TO PROTECT YOUR PRIVACY & AVOID SELF INCRIMINATION)

 

[cbg]

If criminal charges are filed, you definitely will need to hire a lawyer. It probably wouldn't hurt to at least consult with one now.

You should expect to be fired. You should expect to be denied unemployment benefits. You should expect to have a difficult time finding another job.

 

[Betty3]

There is no way we can know what your employer will decide to do. You can co-operate with your employer & obtain a lawyer only if criminal charges are filed. OR You might want to talk to a lawyer at this time due to possible criminal charges being filed - he/she can also give you an idea of what to expect if criminal charges are filed.

You most likely will be terminated - I don't see why they wouldn't terminate you.

 

[menis4u]

There is SOME ALLEGED AMOUNT involved, which I believe increases the possibility of criminal charges.

What kind of lawyer costs I am looking in case like this, any referer to criminal defense lawyer in Northen Virginia area will be appreciated.

 

[Betty3]

That's a lot of money. (Your first post said prob. a few thousand dollars.) You better talk to a lawyer. You can check with your local legal aid society or local or state bar assoc. for a referral to a lawyer in your area. You can ask them about cost.

 

[cbg]

There's no way we can estimate what a lawyer will cost. But if that's the amount we're talking about (I also thought we were talking about maybe 2-5K before), then I amend my earlier, it probably wouldn't hurt to consult one, to, Get thee to an attorney NOW.

 

[army judge]

I suggest you make NO more statements that MIGHT incriminate you.

That said, you could already have placed yourself in legal jeopardy by admitting to ANYTHING.

The good thing for you, is that you haven't admitted to anything under oath or to the police.

If the police do contact you (or possibly arrest you), I suggest you remain calm, be polite, and immediately invoke your right to have an attorney present.

You should not wait for the police to come calling.

You should retain counsel immediately.

Speak to no one BUT that attorney you retain.

If you can't afford to hire one (expect to pay around $5,000 - or MORE) to hire a criminal defense attorney.

In the interim, you might speak to a couple bail bonding agencies and inquire as to what bond MIGHt cost should you be charged in this matter.

Most bail bonding agencies can even tell you IF a warrant has been issued for you.

Your next problem is the weekend.

Don't disappear, but until you can arrange bond, stay off the radar.

It can be very disheartening to get locked up on the weekend.

You might not see a judge until Monday or Tuesday, to set bond, if bond isn't set to schedule in your area.

Usually, in the case of a felony, you can't bond until you see a judge.

That said, in some cases, the sheriff has a preset bond that can be accepted to get you sprung.

Good luck, don't worry about what you said, but say no more from this point forward.

 

[mightymoose]

Under no circumstances should you speak about this with law enforcement. Don't even offer a reason for why you do not want to speak to law enforcement. Absolutely nothing good will come of it.
The sooner you start looking for new employment, the better. You should look for something in a new line of work where embezzlement issues aren't such a great concern.

 

[Betty3]

Agree that you should start looking for new employment - if you are terminated which you can expect, you can also expect not to receive unemployment ins. benefits.