The article From White-Collar to Red-Collar Crime discusses the dangers which white-collar criminals may pose. Although typically assumed to be nonviolent offenders, that when threated with the prospect of being caught and imprisoned, many white-collar criminals are willing to resort to committing very violent acts. The article describes the violent acts committed by white-collars criminal moving into the violent crime arena as red-collar crime.
Perpetrators of white collar crime are not all high level executives anymore. Technology has made it easier for ‘street criminals’ to commit white-collar crimes. Many people including those in law enforcement may be under the mistaken impression that white-collar criminals are non- violent offenders. Many people who commit white collar crimes are repeat offenders and some have committed violent crimes in the past.
The reason white-collar criminals may transition to red collar criminals is to avoid detection and jail time; to avoid detection, white-collar criminals may resort to murder. “The red-collar criminal’s grandiose belief that having committed murder, he or she will somehow avoid detection is proven false;the egocentrism characteristic of these chameleons produces an overconfident view of their ability to avoid detection, thus they do not bother to conceal incriminating evidence” (Perri, 28). An example, Reginald Robinson killed his business partner sole that his fraudulent sale of homes to a ficticious person would not be discovered. Another example, Dennis Gaede, sole a friends identity after aiding in a crime; Gaede later killed the friend to avoid detection. And Irwin Margolies, who was running a multimillion dollar investment scam had his two employees who played to aid in a government investigation killed along with three others who tried to aid one employee.
With the advent of red-collar crime, jobs such as being a forensic accountant can be accompanied by some dangerous risks. “The fact of the matter is that forensic accountants and fraud examiners are in the position to ruin someone’s livelihood and career” (Brody, 359). In these jobs preparation for red-collar crime by realizing that white-collar criminals are capable of committing violent acts is very important.
Works Cited
Brody, R. G., & Kiehl, K. A. (2010). From White-Collar Crime to Red-Collar Crime.
Perri, F. S., & Lichtenwald, T.G. (2008). The Arrogant Chameleons: Exposing
Fraud-Detection Homicide. The Forensic Examiner, Spring 2008, 26-33.
