How Can White Collar Crime be Perpetrated?

By Lynn A. Granata

It does happen more than you think.  Politicians are notorious for it the most.  Bribery and extortion leading to sweet heart deals behind closed doors.

Recently in Providence, RI it has happen with a very powerful politician, whose name I will not disclose here. However, he was a former Speaker of the House, and today he sits in a federal penitentiary for the next 3 years serving time for taking bribes.  Financial audits a mile long were recovered from his office back in March 2014.

Many of you have probably heard of the 38 Studios Debacle, with former Red Sox player Kurt Schilling.  This originated back in 2010. Then former governor of Rhode Island Don Carcieri took him up on the offer, giving him a loan to start up a 38 Studios business in Providence.  Schilling, however, never paid back this loan and it has left Rhode Island taxpayers on the hook for over $1,000,000.  The Speaker of the House took him up as well.  He also opened up a bar called the Shark Bar and accepted bribes from it's then owners.

Soon others followed with taking bribes.  Only they weren't elected officials.  This past summer, a woman who owned a fetish bar was on the hook for over $250,000.  Funny thing about it, however, the former Speaker of the House was involved! She was told that in order to get a license, she had to pay $ xxx,xxx of dollars for the license to be granted, so she did.

As of this writing, the charges are still under review.