What this desk is · and is not

About the White Collar Defense Desk

The White Collar Defense Desk is an educational publishing project. Its purpose is to explain federal white-collar criminal law clearly and accurately: what the statutes say, what the government must prove, what the penalties are, and how a federal case proceeds.

What this site is

• An educational resource grounded in primary sources — the United States Code, the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, and the Justice Manual.
• Explanations of statute text, elements, and procedure in plain language.
• Answers to real questions people search about federal white-collar law, where the primary sources support an answer.

What this site is not

• Not a law firm. No one here represents clients.
• Not legal advice. Nothing on this site creates an attorney-client relationship.
• Not a referral or advertising service. No page here asks anyone to hire anyone.

If you face criminal charges, consult a licensed criminal defense attorney.

The pages below are grouped into the categories of federal white-collar law: fraud statutes, securities offenses, financial crimes, corruption and enterprise crime, and process and sentencing. The five-year default limitation of 18 U.S.C. 3282, with its ten-year bank-fraud exception in 18 U.S.C. 3293, runs through the timeline discussions. If you face a federal investigation, what to do depends on the stage — the federal investigation guide walks through each one.

What the government must prove

Each article explains what the government must prove and the penalties each statute carries:

• Wire Fraud Under 18 U.S.C. 1343: Elements and Penalties
• Wire Fraud Statute of Limitations
• Mail Fraud Under 18 U.S.C. 1341: Elements and Penalties
• Bank Fraud Under 18 U.S.C. 1344: Elements and Penalties
• Honest Services Fraud Under 18 U.S.C. 1346
• Securities Fraud: 15 U.S.C. 78j, Rule 10b-5, and Penalties
• Insider Trading: Tippee and Tipper Liability
• Money Laundering Under 18 U.S.C. 1956: Elements and Penalties
• Embezzlement: Federal Statutes and Elements
• Identity Theft and Aggravated Identity Theft Under Federal Law
• Tax Evasion Under 26 U.S.C. 7201: Willfulness and Affirmative Acts
• Bribery of Public Officials Under 18 U.S.C. 201
• RICO: 18 U.S.C. 1961-1968, Enterprise and Pattern of Racketeering
• Federal Conspiracy Under 18 U.S.C. 371
• Federal Sentencing Guidelines: How Offense Levels Work
• Grand Jury and Indictment: Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 6
• Plea Bargaining and Cooperation in Federal Cases
• Federal Criminal Investigations: Targets, Subjects, and Witnesses
• Federal Statute of Limitations in Criminal Cases
• Choosing a White-Collar Defense Attorney

Cases that shaped this area

Landmark decisions the articles explain as public law:

• McNally v. United States
• Carpenter v. United States
• Toussie v. United States
• Pereira v. United States
• Schmuck v. United States
• Loughrin v. United States
• Skilling v. United States
• McDonnell v. United States
• Basic v. Levinson
• Matrixx v. Siracusano
• Dirks v. SEC
• Salman v. United States
• Cuellar v. United States
• United States v. Santos
• Morissette v. United States
• Flores-Figueroa v. United States
• Cheek v. United States
• Spies v. United States
• United States v. Sun-Diamond Growers of California
• United States v. Turkette
• H.J. Inc. v. Northwestern Bell Telephone Co.
• Pinkerton v. United States
• United States v. Booker
• Gall v. United States
• Costello v. United States
• Santobello v. New York
• Garrity v. New Jersey
• Strickland v. Washington

Primary sources

The official texts this site explains (links open the official text):

• 18 U.S.C. 1343 (wire fraud)
• 18 U.S.C. 1341 (mail fraud)
• 18 U.S.C. 1344 (bank fraud)
• 18 U.S.C. 1956 (money laundering)
• 18 U.S.C. 3282 (default five-year limitation)
• 18 U.S.C. 3293 (bank-fraud ten-year limitation)
• 18 U.S.C. 1962 (RICO prohibited activities)
• Fed. R. Crim. P. 6 (grand jury)

Statutes quick reference

Prefer everything in one place? The statutes quick reference lists every statute and rule the site explains, with links to the official text.