White-Collar Crime-WorldCom Case

Intro: Among the many white-collar criminal cases that have been reported recently. I chose to explore the fraudulent case of WorldCom. Also the sentencing of its former chief executive officer (CEO), Bernard Ebbers. This criminal case occurred at WorldCom. Where some improper accounting procedures that led to the loss of more than $ 11 billion. This was revealed by an internal audit (Crawford, 2005). This fraudulent activity also led to the dismissal of the company’s employees. The case was prosecuted at the US District Court. Where Ebbers was handed a 25-year jail term for committing a corporate offense (Crawford, 2005). Therefore, the defendant was Bernard Ebbers, a former WorldCom CEO. This crime can be categorized as fraud since it violates accounting principles to defraud the company and its shareholders.

Instructions & Formatting the Case Study Paper is worth 30% of your total course grade. Your paper should be between 8-9pages, excluding cover sheet and references. Follow APA Style, and be double-spaced, 12-point font, with 1-inch margins. Assignment: Contents the paper should be organized to include the following information. How you want to include that is up to you. I recommend this structure. But if your case doesn’t quite fit this style, you can organize it in a way that makes more sense. Just make sure to include as much of this information as you can. These questions are not an exclusive list. If you have additional information that you want to include, please do so. Below is a framework designed to prompt you to think about how you’re going to organize.  A lot of information and do a thorough discussion of your case.

Further Description – Criminal Charges

Again, you do not have to use this structure, but it may help you in researching and organizing your thoughts. The Crime what happened and who did it? This section should focus on how the criminal act began. What the perpetrator’s motivation was, the method by which the crime happened, and who were the victims. As much as possible, focus on the methods and motivations. Two things that investigators and prosecutors want to understand these cases. As do business owners who are at risk of this type of fraud. For example, in the case of embezzlement. This might be what led a bookkeeper to start transferring money out of her employer’s account and into her own. The Investigation How was the crime detected and how did investigators build a case?.  Here, your case study might examine how law enforcement got involved and the steps investigators took to document the crime.

This may involve a discussion of which agency was charged with investigating this crime. Which can be a complicated jurisdictional issue in complex white-collar cases. The Court Proceedings What charges were filed and how was the case prosecuted? This section should discuss the prosecutor’s choice of statute. Also how the facts alleged fit the elements of those criminal laws. Prosecutors have great discretion in how they charge crimes in white-collar cases. Which can include a decision to file criminal or civil violations. Or to opt for a Deferred Prosecution Agreement or a Non-Prosecution Agreement.

Additional Information

Jurisdictional issues must be decided at this stage. As well, such as whether it is better to bring this case in state or federal court. Because of the availability of public records, a prosecutor’s strategy should be a large part of this section of your case study. Those records may also shed light on the defense to the criminal charges, particularly if there was a trial. Even if the case was settled with a guilty plea. Court filings can provide insight into the defense strategy, as well.

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