{"id":19658,"date":"2022-12-13T10:29:11","date_gmt":"2022-12-13T10:29:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.monderlaw.com\/\/?p=19658"},"modified":"2023-01-30T16:25:15","modified_gmt":"2023-01-30T16:25:15","slug":"what-definition-elements-embezzlement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.monderlaw.com\/news\/what-definition-elements-embezzlement\/","title":{"rendered":"Elements of Embezzlement in California Explained"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-19660\" src=\"https:\/\/www.monderlaw.com\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/What-is-the-definition-of-embezzlement-in-California.jpg\" alt=\"What is the definition of embezzlement in California\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.monderlaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/What-is-the-definition-of-embezzlement-in-California.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.monderlaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/What-is-the-definition-of-embezzlement-in-California-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.monderlaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/What-is-the-definition-of-embezzlement-in-California-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/>Embezzlement is a burning issue in all of the US and not just in California. In fact, this type of crime is so common that it costs US businesses approximately $400 billion a year, according to the National White Collar Crime Center\u2019s estimate.<\/p>\n<p>However, while common, this offense is also commonly misunderstood and\/or misinterpreted, which can lead to lengthy, tiresome, and often unnecessary trials, even if the defendant has the finest defense attorney San Diego can offer.<\/p>\n<p>Therefore, it is imperative that both employers and employees <a href=\"https:\/\/www.monderlaw.com\/\/theft\/theft-by-embezzlement\/\">understand what embezzlement entails<\/a>, and this guide aims to help with that.<\/p>\n<h2>What is the definition of embezzlement in California?<\/h2>\n<p>Embezzlement is considered a white-collar crime and is defined under <a href=\"https:\/\/leginfo.legislature.ca.gov\/faces\/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=PEN&amp;sectionNum=503\">California Penal Code (CPC) \u00a7503<\/a> as \u201cthe fraudulent appropriation of property by a person to whom it has been entrusted.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.monderlaw.com\/\/news\/what-potential-punishments-embezzlement-ca\/\">Potential punishments for the crime of embezzlement<\/a> depend on the amount in question and are as follows:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">For the value of the embezzled property of $950 and above, the offense is considered a felony and charged as such;<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">If the embezzled property value is lower than $950 the offense will be considered a misdemeanor.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Felony embezzlement is chargeable with jail time and\/or a fine of up to $10,000, depending on the facts of the case and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.monderlaw.com\/\/news\/what-related-offenses-embezzlement\/\">existence of offenses tied to embezzlement<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3>What are some common forms of embezzlement?<\/h3>\n<p>Embezzlement can take many forms. However, the most common are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">The diversion\/siphoning of funds (e.g. A cashier takes the money from the cash register and spends it on a night out);<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">The misappropriation of goods (e.g. A person you hired to wash your car takes it for a joyride without returning it);<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">The misuse of credit cards and other forms of access to funds (e.g. An elderly gives their credit card to a hired caretaker to buy groceries, and they use it to pay their bills).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Of course, there are other forms of embezzlement. Such is the case with the notorious Ponzi Scheme. Here, a person is (or, more often, poses as) a financial advisor, promising astronomical gains in order to get the victim to entrust their finances in their care, only to later disappear with their hard-earned money. While certainly\u00a0 \u201cfamous\u201d, this type of embezzlement is less common.<\/p>\n<h3>What\u2019s The Difference Between Theft and Embezzlement?<\/h3>\n<p>As it stands, embezzlement has some similarities to theft. However, they are two different crimes that carry different penalties for the offender.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Theft is the act of taking something from someone without their permission. It is usually done by stealth, or by means of force or trickery.<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Embezzlement is the act of dishonestly appropriating property entrusted to one&#8217;s care, such as money or goods.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>What are the elements of embezzlement in CA?<\/h2>\n<p>For the offense to qualify as embezzlement under California law, it must fulfill all of the following criteria:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">A property owner entrusted their property to the defendant;<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">The owner entrusted their property to the defendant because they trusted them;<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">The defendant fraudulently converted or used the property in question for their own gain;<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">The defendant had the intention to deprive the owner of said property.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This makes proving one of the above facts untrue the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.monderlaw.com\/\/news\/what-4-effective-defense-strategies-methods-embezzlement\/\">most common embezzlement defense strategy<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Who is the leading embezzlement defense attorney in San Diego, CA?<\/h2>\n<p>When facing embezzlement charges, it is of critical importance to understand what the process entails, how it works, and what the options are. Monder Criminal Lawyer Group is an award-winning team of well-established attorneys, ready to put our collective knowledge and experience to good use for your benefit.<\/p>\n<p>Come to our office at the heart of <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gaslamp_Quarter,_San_Diego\">San Diego\u2019s historic Gaslamp Quarter<\/a> and ensure you have the dedicated defense team that you deserve.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Embezzlement is a burning issue in all of the US and not just in California. In fact, this type of crime is so common that it costs US businesses approximately $400 billion a year, according to the National White Collar Crime Center\u2019s estimate. However, while common, this offense is also commonly misunderstood and\/or misinterpreted, which [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19660,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19658","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Embezzlement Explained | Defense Attorney San Diego<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Continue reading to learn what California law considered embezzlement, its elements, and its most common forms.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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