Morristown, NJ criminal defense lawyer Blair R. Zwillman talks about white collar crime. He shares that white-collar crime is a term that emerged in the early 1900s to describe commercial or business-related offenses, setting them apart from street crimes like robbery, homicide, or vehicular homicide. White-collar crimes typically involve an individual defrauding institutions, such as banks, or individuals out of money or valuable property, or engaging in fraudulent activities like improper tax filings.

These cases, like other federal matters, are sophisticated and require a criminal defense attorney with substantial experience in handling complex financial and business-related offenses. White-collar offenders are often middle- to upper-middle-class individuals who have exploited systems for personal financial gain, distinguishing these cases from more traditional “blue-collar” criminal offenses.