Wisconsin Embezzlement Laws

Embezzlement isn’t the name of an official crime in Wisconsin. Instead embezzlement is charged as “theft by bailee.” Embezzlement refers to a type of white-collar theft. This means that no violence or force is used to illegally obtain the money, but rather that it is acquired through fraudulent means.  This usually means that an employee abuses his or her position to illegally obtain company money.

Key Tenants of Embezzlement

Embezzlement relies on the unlawful possession of property, though it is often money and not physical material. It also only refers to crimes in which a person was entrusted with responsibility for the property that has been stolen and abused that position for monetary gain.

Embezzlement, or “theft by bailee,” can have different levels of severity depending on the value of the property stolen.

• • Theft of anything under $2500 is usually a misdemeanor crime.
• • Theft of property with a total value that falls between $2500 and $5000 is designated as a Class I felony.
• • Between $5000 and $10,000 is classified as a Class H felony.
• • Beyond $10,000, the defendant faces a Class G felony.

Embezzlement Defenses

Embezzlement can take a wide variety of forms, so a legal defense team can approach the case in any number of ways. Proving that there was intent to repay the property stolen, consent to use the property, or demonstrating that the issue lay in accounting errors can be the difference between conviction and dismissal of charges. Recently, our team managed to get the prosecutors not to bring charges against our client because of the strength of the defense we had in place.

If you are facing embezzlement charges in Wisconsin, reach out to the lawyers at Tracey Wood & Associates for a free case assessment today.