White Collar Crime

Longtime talk show host David Letterman was involved in a sex and extortion scandal in October and the case continues to be pursued by authorities.

Robert “Joe” Halderman, a former CBS employee who was indicted Oct. 2, was accused of extorting Letterman after he threatened to publish a book and screenplay about the talk show host’s office affairs if he didn’t pay him a specified amount of money.

Halderman is scheduled to appear before a judge for a motions hearing next Tuesday morning.

Letterman is not expected to appear at the hearing as plaintiffs rarely have to be present at motions hearings. Halderman, however, is ordered to appear.

In a motions situation, an attorney makes a request to the appointed judge to make a ruling on a specific issue, which generally results in various court appearances.

When a person is charged with extortion it is considered a felony crime and is punishable by law. Penalties for such a crime can range from jail time to heavy fines, depending on the nature of the case.

To learn more about extortion, blackmail and related crimes, visit USLaw.com and the New York State Citizen Guide.

Last night TV host David Letterman’s opening monologue took an unforeseen turn. Viewers tuned in to hear Letterman make usual cracks at current celebrities and politicians in the news, but instead learned something about the 62-year-old host they’d never expect.

Letterman, who is married to longtime love Regina Lasko, admitted to the audience that he’s had various sexual affairs with a number of female coworkers over the years working at The Tonight Show. Not only was his infidelity to his wife – and mother of his child – shocking and disappointing to the millions of viewers watching the show, he soon revealed another scandalous aspect to the story: blackmail.

Until the known suspect was arrested, Letterman had been the victim of an on-going extortion plot by CBS’s 48 Hours employee Robert J. Halderman. For a few weeks, the suspected Halderman threatened to publish a book and screenplay about Letterman’s office affairs if he didn’t pay him a specified amount of money. Halderman is accused of trying to extort $2 million from Letterman, who issued a fake check during the investigation which ultimately got Halderman caught.

Letterman stood before the grand jury issuing his story and Halderman was eventually arrested shortly after.

Extortion is a criminal offense which occurs when a person acquires money or property from an individual through coercion or blackmail. Other relating white collar crimes include fraud, bribery, counterfeiting, embezzlement, forgery and larceny. Penalties for such crimes vary from fines to a prison sentence or both. Criminal laws sanction maximum penalties, but most defendants receive less than the maximum sentence issued by the judge.

If you want to learn more about white collar crimes, visit the New York State Department of Criminal Justice Service’s website . To better understand the laws pertaining to white collar crimes, also visit the New York Penal Law website.

Sergei Fedorov wins White Collar Crime Lawsuit in Detroit

Michigan hockey player Sergei Fedorov, formerly of the Detroit Red Wings, was recently awarded $60 million in a fraud and embezzlement lawsuit against Joseph Zada. The guilty Joseph Zada of Grosse Pointe Shores befriended the hockey player in the late 1990s and was soon entrusted as an investment manager for Federov. Both were introduced at a Detroit car dealership by a mutual friend.

Joseph Zada has cheated Federov of $43 million during the last eleven years. Federov is not the only person cheated by Zada. At least eight other businesses and individuals have named Zada as a crook and a cheat in Wayne Circuit Court.

Sergei Fedorov is well-known for surpassing a record in October 2008 by Alexander Mogilny for most goals (475) by a Russian born NHL player.

IRS Files Tax Lien on Nicolas Cage’s Louisiana Property

It looks like actor Nicolas Cage doesn’t understand the sure things in life: death and taxes. Cage has joined a celebrated list of individuals who have forgotten they have to pay taxes to Uncle Sam. Nicolas Cage has been indicted for tax fraud because he neglected to pay his 2007 income tax to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Reports have said he owes the IRS over $6,000,000.

Tax Fraud and Celebrity White Collar Criminals

Tax fraud is considered a white collar crime. A white collar crime involves business or financial conspiracies by a respected person, government official, or business person. The Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation investigates cases of federal white collar crimes.

Louisiana Tax Lien

The IRS has placed a tax lien on Cage’s Louisiana home which had been up for sale. A tax lien is when the IRS stakes a claim on your property in exchange for the tax you owe them.

This isn’t Cage’s first run in with the IRS. In 2008, he improperly filed his personal expenses and paid over $660,000 to the IRS.

Other Celebrity Tax Evaders

Cage isn’t the only Hollywood tax evader. Other stars that have been indicted for bilking the IRS are:

Helio Castroneves, 2008, tax evasion

Wesley Snipes, 2006, false refund claims

Richard Hatch, 2006, failing to report income from the show Survivor

Boris Becker, 2002, tax evasion

Darryl Strawberry, 1994, tax evasion

Pete Rose, 1990, tax evasion

Willie Nelson, 1990, tax evasion

Leona Helmsley, 1989, tax evasion

Nicolas Cage, I’m sure many of these stars will tell you – the IRS will always find you and yes, you will pay your taxes.