While many people tend to think that it is difficult to prosecute white-collar crimes, the opposite is true. With the US economy losing approximately $300 billion annually to various forms of white-collar crimes, strict measures have been put in place to help in prosecuting individuals who are involved in these types of crimes.
Typically, the penalties for white-collar offenses include home detention, hefty fines, paying the cost of prosecution, community confinement, restitution, imprisonment, and supervised release. Most state laws suggest longer prison sentences and hefty fines if at least one victim suffered substantial financial loss in the process.
In most states, if you are found guilty of committing money laundering, you risk facing up to 20 or even more years in prison. You also face a potential fine that can rise to $200,000.
The Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution gives the federal government the authority and power to regulate white-collar crime. Some of the federal agencies that take part in the enforcement of federal white-collar crime legislation include the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).