Asheville, North Carolina, Criminal Defense Blog

If you are under investigation for any type of white collar crime, you may be unsure of what you should do or not cognizant of the serious nature of your current situation. White collar crimes are federal charges that can include various types of illegal behavior. If under investigation in North Carolina, facing allegations or already charged, you have no time to lose in protecting your interests.

White collar crimes are non-violent, and they almost always relate to the acquisition of money through some type of illegal means, such as bribery, forgery, theft, deception and more. You do, however, have the right to defend yourself, no matter what you presume about the case against you or the nature of the criminal charges you are currently facing.

Drug charges often carry serious penalties for those convicted. Depending on the circumstances, someone arrested and charged with drug possession may face fines and prison if a North Carolina court finds him or her guilty. Moreover, certain professions consider drug crimes serious enough to place one's employment in jeopardy, especially if the accused is a licensed professional in the health care industry.

For the past four months, a local rehabilitation center was under investigation because medications had been reported missing. However, police had no leads in the case until recently. Making a routine traffic stop, police approached the car of a woman who worked as a nurse at the rehabilitation center. The officer reported that he saw in plain sight pills in the woman's car. The officer made a connection between the nurse and the pills missing from the rehabilitation center.

A tragic accident can haunt someone for years, especially if he or she feels responsible for the outcome. In some cases, however, someone may feel sorry for what has happened but not be alone in culpability. One North Carolina man has openly expressed his grief for a fatal accident in which he was involved. While he definitely faces drunk driving charges, investigators have not yet filed any charges related to the accident.

Although his license was revoked because of a previous DWI, the man was driving his SUV along a winding, rural highway when two teenagers on an ATV came onto the road. The driver did not have time to react to the ATV, and the SUV struck the ATV with such force that it split the 4-wheeler in half. The 14-year-old driving the ATV died, and his 13-year-old friend was hospitalized in critical condition.

Law enforcement agents are under careful scrutiny these days. While most police officers carry out their duties with the intent to protect and serve, others may have different agendas, bringing suspicion on all who wear a badge. A North Carolina police officer was recently fired following accusations that he performed an unlawful search and seizure.

After 17 years in law enforcement, the officer lost his job for allegedly failing to carry out his duties. The officer apparently obtained a search warrant for the property of another police officer who was suspected of being involved in a string a thefts of mowers and lawn equipment. However, the subject of the warrant maintained that the warrant was obtained under false pretenses, and the search resulted in illegal seizures.

A conviction for drunk driving charges can bring consequences that affect many aspects of a person's life. North Carolina DWI laws have been tightened over the past few years, lowering the number of offenses before one is charged with a felony and raising the severity of penalties for convictions. However, underage drinking charges have always been met with zero tolerance, and combining a charge of this nature with other offenses may create a serious situation for a young driver.

One man is in such a situation following a recent accident. The 20-year-old was traveling in his SUV one evening when he allegedly struck the back of a motorcycle at an intersection. His vehicle was then said to have struck the back of another SUV that was ahead of the motorcycle. Witnesses say the impact of the vehicle and the motorcycle sent the helmet of the 30-year-old biker flying100 feet and knocked the shoes and socks completely off the victim.

Gun owners in North Carolina are not shy about defending their Second Amendment right to bear arms. A bill currently making its way through the state legislature may allow gun owners to bear those arms with even more liberty. Still, there are many who worry about the dangers the bill presents and the potential for an increase in weapons offenses, especially for those who are not familiar with carrying firearms.

If the law passes, it would eliminate the need for permits to carry concealed weapons in places where openly carrying a weapon is allowed. The bill also lowers from 21 to 18 the age at which someone can apply for a concealed-carry permit. Decisions regarding the approval or rejection of applications for such permits would be made within 90 days instead of 45 days from the time the sheriff obtains the mental health report of an applicant.