The typical media image of crime is robbery, violence, and vandalism. But white collar crime, including theft, fraud, and insider trading, can cause just as much damage in its own way, and result in major criminal law charges. Here are three white collar crimes that have made headlines and reminded the public how much harm can be caused by a businessman with a pen.

Top 3 White Collar Crimes

1. Martha Stewart's Insider Trading

Martha Stewart was already a household name before her stock market scandal. In 2001, working on insider information, she sold a large amount of stock just before it fell 16%. Criminal law charges of conspiracy, obstruction of an agency proceeding, and making false statements to federal investigators netted her five months in prison and a $30,000 fine. While this case is small in comparison to many others, it was well-publicized and remains almost universally known.

2. Tyco International Theft

CEO Dennis Kozlowski and CFO Mark H. Swartz of the manufacturing company, Tyco International, were involved in the theft of $150 million from the company. Convicted of multiple counts of theft and fraud in 2005, each served eight years in prison—and the company paid almost $3 billion to their shareholders over the incident.

3. Enron

Rumors which began in the 1990s about Enron's shady bookkeeping practices proved to be true in 2001 when it came out that company president, CEO, and COO Jeffrey Skilling had hidden billions of dollars of debt. His sentence for the fraud was nearly 25 years in prison, and the company itself went through bankruptcy proceedings over the next few years.

These are only a few of the major white collar crimes which have come to light in recent years. Though they don't have the visual impact of an assailant with a gun, the far-reaching financial effects of these cases have impacted the lives of more Americans than almost any other type of crime imaginable.

The Walker Firm offers legal representation in criminal law cases to clients in the Warner Robins, GA, area. If you're facing criminal law charges, contact lawyers H. Jay Walker, III and C.J. Walker. You can request a consultation with the Walker Law Firm at (478) 923-4152 or online.