Punishing white-collar crime: An examination of judicial sentencing practices in federal fraud and embezzlement cases

Historically, white-collar crimes have been neglected by criminologists, due both to a lack of data as well as definitional issues surrounding which acts constitute white-collar offending. With a recent increase in media coverage of high profile corporate offenders, more attention is being drawn to these offenses; however, there is still a dearth of studies that have white-collar crime as their focus. The economic effects of white-collar crime are far greater than those for conventional street offending; yet there is not a consensus within society regarding appropriate punishments. This research will explore judicial sentencing decisions through an examination of 2006 Federal Sentencing Commission Data, specifically those convicted for embezzlement and fraud.