In 2011, the state of Alabama instated massive budget cuts that severely affected our offices. This decrease in funding forced us to do away with our White Collar Division. Which in turn, transferred the responsibility of prosecuting white collar crimes to the already overloaded Assistant District Attorneys in circuit court. Since then, our office has worked tirelessly to gain funding from other sources. After winning a suit against the Mobile County Commission in 2016, we have been able to restore some of the departments that had been previously eliminated.
The White Collar Division was finally reinstated in January 2018, and it was a much needed position to be filled. Clay Rossi, our New White Collar Prosecutor, is excited to tackle rebuilding the White Collar Crime Department. This division is extremely important to the safety of our community. Prosecuting white collar crime is a complicated and time consuming task that requires a specific skill set. Intensive paperwork and research is required when handling these cases.
What is White collar Crime?
ADA Rossi’s favorite definition of white collar crime:
“White collar crimes are non-violent illegal activities that principally use deceit, deception, concealment, fraud, or misrepresentation to obtain money, property, or some other advantage, or to conceal or cover up other wrongdoing.” -Randal D. Eliason
Why is Prosecuting White Collar Crime so important?
There is no smoking gun or bloody knife when a white collar crime is committed. This typically leads people to assume that these criminals are not a threat to the community. Despite popular belief, the VICTIMS of these crimes have to live with the consequences of the offenders actions. They may suffer substantial pecuniary loss or even humiliation. They will never be able to gain back the time spent dealing with the ramifications of someone else’s misdeeds. Having a separate white collar division is essential to ensuring that justice is served for our victims. These cases are not simple. They typically require in-depth document reviews of business records and financial documents. It takes considerable effort to garner sufficient evidence to prosecute these cases successfully.
How Do I report a White Collar Crime?
