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Los Angeles Embezzlement Defense Lawyers

California Penal Code 503

The California criminal defense attorneys of this firm represent clients accused of embezzlement offenses in Los Angeles County, Orange County and the Inland Empire.

Under California law, embezzlement is defined as the theft or stealing of property that has been entrusted to the defendant under Penal Code 503. Embezzlement has also been defined as the fraudulent conversion of another's property, when the defendant had a fiduciary or other relationship of trust to the property owner.

Many of the embezzlement cases arise from the employment context, when an employee or agent of a business is accused of stealing property that the business has assigned him to handle. Most of the embezzlement statutes can be found in California Penal Code Sections 503, 504, 505 and 506.

The penalties for an embezzlement conviction in California vary based on the amount of the loss and the circumstances, but the punishment generally can include up to three years of state prison per count.

If you are investigated for or accused of an embezzlement offense under California Penal Code Section 503, consult with a criminal defense attorney immediately. Early intervention by an experienced defense lawyer, even well before criminal charges are filed, is critical.

California Jury Instructions on Embezzlement

The defendant is charged with theft by embezzlement.

To prove the crime of theft by embezzlement, the prosecution must prove:

1. The owner or agent for the owner entrusted property to the defendant;

2. The owner or agent for the owner did so out of trust in the defendant;

3. The defendant either converted or used that property for his own benefit;

AND

4. When the defendant converted the property, he intended permanently to deprive the owner of it, or to take it from the owner's possession for so long a period of time that the owner would lose much of the value or enjoyment of the property.

Internet Resources

U.S. Code Sections on Embezzlement and Theft
Federal law as to embezzlement, fraud, theft and deceit.

Embezzlement Definitions
Various legal definitions of embezzlement offenses.