Pictured Above: James Harry Fluch. Source: Orange County Register.

James Harry Fluch, pictured above, is charged with 156 felony counts of computer access fraud with sentencing enhancements for property loss of more than $200,000 and a white-collar crime of more than $100,000 for embezzling over $822,000 from an Irvine firm where he worked as an accounting consultant. Fluch had been working for CheckPoint Communications, which was his friends company, for about 20 years. However, authorities say that from 2006 until 2011, Fluch embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars by transferring money from an escrow account to his personal bank account and then spending it on personal items.

Fluch was arrested earlier this month and taken into custody. His bail was set to $822,000, which had to come from a legitimate source. If convicted of all 156 felony counts, Fluch could be sentenced to over 100 years in prison.

White-collar crimes can be in the form of fraud, extortion, embezzlement, and theft. The California Penal Code defines embezzlement as the fraudulent appropriation of property by a person to whom it has been intrusted. Fluch was the accounting consultant, trusted to handle the accounting of the firm, however, he mishandled the money and therefore was charged with embezzlement.

A person who is convicted of a white-collar crime can be sentenced to prison or jail, be ordered to pay fines or restitution, be put on probation or house arrest and may even lose their professional licenses and reputation in the community. Therefore, if you are charged with a white-collar crime, contact an experienced criminal defense attorney right away to assist you.