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Saratoga Springs and the Capital Region
Fraud & Embezzlement Attorneys Saratoga, NY
A fraud case runs on one number, and somebody produced that number with a reason to make it large. It decides the charge in New York and the sentence in federal court. Scott Iseman built those numbers as a prosecutor before he began taking them apart.
Who reads your file
- Before defense
- Federal prosecutor
- Military
- Marine Judge Advocate
- Handled
- About 300 criminal matters
- Tried
- About 35 jury trials
01Find your situation
Is this the accusation you are facing?
Find your situation below. Each one goes straight to what it means and what to do next.
Not sure which one you are? Bring us the spreadsheet.
Schedule a Consultation
02Who will handle it
A prosecutor who built these cases first
Scott Iseman built loss calculations for the government before he started contesting them. He knows how an audit becomes a referral, how a referral becomes a number, and where that number is soft, because assembling it used to be his job.
Dismissed before trial
Fraud counts against a public official dropped
The district attorney’s office agreed to dismiss fraud counts against a public official before trial, after our own investigation and a detailed review of the discovery. The case never reached a jury.
Federal prosecutorBefore the defense
~300Criminal matters handled
~35Jury trials to verdict
2021 to 2026Super Lawyers
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Client names are withheld.
03What each amount charges
How much is grand larceny in New York?
New York has no separate embezzlement crime. Money you were trusted with is charged as theft, and the value decides the degree. One dollar over a line is a different felony.
| Value of property | Charge | Level |
|---|---|---|
| $1,000 or less | Petit larceny | Misdemeanor |
| Over $1,000 | Grand larceny, fourth degree | Class E felony |
| Over $3,000 | Grand larceny, third degree | Class D felony |
| Over $50,000 | Grand larceny, second degree | Class C felony |
| Over $1,000,000 | Grand larceny, first degree | Class B felony |
This is why the total on the spreadsheet is the first thing we look at. Moving a figure from just over a line to just under it changes the charge, and it is ordinary work, not a long shot.
04The number decides everything
In a fraud case, the money is an estimate
Almost every fraud and embezzlement case runs on one figure. It decides which charge gets filed and what the sentence looks like, and nobody has to prove it to the dollar.
Who produces it
Usually not the police
These cases start with an internal audit, a forensic accountant, a bank referral, or a former employee. Someone assembles a spreadsheet, and that spreadsheet becomes the accusation before any officer is involved.
Why it matters early
The figure hardens fast
A total usually sweeps in every transaction that looks irregular. Work you were owed, approvals you had, and money that came back are the first things left out. Once a number reaches a prosecutor they tend to start from it, so answering it early is far cheaper than moving it later.
05Two different numbers
Loss and restitution are not the same figure
Treating them as one number is a common and expensive mistake. They are calculated separately, they often differ, and only one of them follows you after the sentence ends.
Loss
Drives the sentence
The loss figure sets the sentencing range, and it can include harm that was intended but never happened. It is an estimate, and the government only has to show it is more likely than not.
Restitution
Follows you afterward
Restitution is tied to real harm suffered by identified victims. It outlasts the sentence, and it is the number that keeps mattering years later.
What moves them
Money returned early
Value given back before anyone detected the problem reduces the figure, and interest is excluded. Repaying after the fact rarely helps and is often read as an admission, so talk to a lawyer before you write a cheque.
06Quick answers
What clients ask us about a money case
Most people asking these have not been arrested. That is the right time to ask.
How much is grand larceny in New York?
Anything over $1,000 is grand larceny, a felony. Over $3,000, over $50,000, and over $1,000,000 each raise it another level. At or below $1,000 it stays a misdemeanor, which is why a single dollar can decide how serious the case is.
What is the penalty for embezzlement in New York?
There is no separate embezzlement crime here. It is charged as larceny, so the amount sets the penalty, from a misdemeanor at or below $1,000 up to the most serious felony class above a million. Contesting the amount is usually the highest-value work in the case.
Can embezzlement charges be dropped?
Sometimes, and it turns on what the file shows. Charges get dismissed when the evidence does not support intent, or when the number behind the charge does not survive scrutiny. That work happens early, well before trial. No lawyer can promise it.
My employer says I took money but I have not been arrested. What now?
Call a lawyer before you explain anything. An internal interview is not private, and your account becomes an exhibit if the matter is referred to the Saratoga County District Attorney. Keep every record, delete nothing, and do not repay money to make it go away.
Will a fraud charge show up on a background check?
A conviction will, and fraud reads worse than most because the accusation is about honesty with money. Employers, licensing boards, and anyone running a credit or bonding check treat it differently. That is why the difference between a misdemeanor and a felony is worth fighting over.
In a fraud case, the leverage is the number
Bring the audit letter, the suspension notice, or the spreadsheet somebody handed you. We will go through how that figure was built and where it is soft. Nobody can promise you an outcome. We can make the government prove its number instead of asserting it.
Schedule a Consultation
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Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 (518) 633-1528 scott@scottisemanlaw.com Get directions
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Iseman PLLC 59 Franklin StreetSaratoga Springs, NY 12866 (518) 633-1528 scott@scottisemanlaw.com Get directions
Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. The amounts described here are general information and are not a prediction about any individual matter. Iseman PLLC, 59 Franklin Street, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866, (518) 633-1528.