What Are the Different Colored Collared Crimes?

White collar crimes are non-violent crimes often committed by individuals in positions of power, such as businessmen, executives and politicians, who seek to accumulate wealth through illegal means. Common white collar crimes include fraud, embezzlement, money laundering, insider trading and tax evasion.

It’s not uncommon to hear advocates, lobbyists or policymakers bemoan the comparatively light sentences white collar criminals are subjected to after a conviction. As a result, many people don’t realize just how steep the penalties can be, with some white collar crimes resulting in literally decades behind bars.

While white collar crimes are often tried in federal court due to the interstate nature of the offenses, they can be brought in Arizona state courts if the crime occurred solely within Arizona’s borders.

White collar is an umbrella term that covers a truly diverse array of infractions. There are some additional formal and informal labels sometimes used to further delineate different types of “collared” crimes.

Pink collar Crime

Pink collar crime also refers to non-violent crimes pertaining to finances – such as bookkeeping fraud, identity theft and embezzlement – but they are typically committed by women in mid to low-level positions in the corporate hierarchy. A relatively recent addition to the lexicon, pink collar crimes was a term coined in the 1980s due to a notable rash of women in accounting who were embezzling funds, typically in comparatively small monetary amounts when measured against the norm for white collar embezzlement.

Another differentiating feature was that pink collar crimes often didn’t cross state lines, meaning they were prosecuted by state law enforcement.

There’s no unique “pink collar” law strictly for women accountants – from a legal standpoint, the gender of the defendant has no effect on their charges. The categorization is more about the defendant and putting a label on a pattern of behavior rather than a unique legal doctrine or statute.

Green Collar Crime

A green collar crime is one that violates environmental regulations for the sake of profit, resulting in harm to the ecosystem. Common green collar crimes include but are not limited to those that cause illegal levels of pollution, illegal logging leading to deforestation and wildlife trafficking.

Because crimes that qualify as green collar often occur within state borders, with localized effects, green collar crimes in our state are often prosecuted by local Arizona prosecutors in conjunction with local and federal regulators, like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Red Collar Crime

The only real difference between a red collar crime and a traditional white collar crime is the addition of violence. A white collar crime becomes a red collar crime when the alleged perpetrator resorts to a violent act like assault or homicide to prevent discovery of their criminal activity. The addition of a violent crime also tends to drastically increase the potential penalties if the alleged perpetrator is convicted.

Blue Collar Crime

Most collared crimes are typically perpetrated by “white collar” workers (hence the name). Blue-collar crimes are usually committed by those from working-class backgrounds.

There are some typical commonalities among blue collar crimes given the positional standing of the defendant. They also tend to be small-scale crimes of convenience with the goal of personal gain of some kind, like burglary, theft, narcotic production and distribution or prostitution. 

Like the other collared crimes, this is not a unique law or statute. “Blue collar” is simply an informal naming convention used when the circumstances of a crime match the description. Unlike white collar schemes that may require time-consuming forensic accounting and painstaking investigation, blue collar crimes tend to have visible and immediate consequences. This is why they are often prosecuted more quickly and garner more severe punishments.

Black Collar Crime

Black collar crime is one of the less commonly used collared terms. It refers to people in certain positions of authority – primarily clergy people – who abuse their position of trust and power to commit criminal offenses. Molestation of minors and other sexual assaults of congregants, as well as scams perpetrated by preachers, might be referred to as “black collar” crimes.

Some people may use the term to refer to certain crimes perpetrated by individuals who have innate authority and respect thanks to their position but don’t possess wealth or easy access to financial resources, like teachers. Those types of professionals may not be able to defraud customers or investors, but they are granted a high level of trust that can be abused.

Get the Zealous Defense You Deserve

The Law Office of Michael Alarid III will aggressively protect your rights and defend you against the prosecution’s allegations, no matter what charge you’re facing. As an Arizona Board-Certified Criminal Defense Attorney, you can trust Michael Alarid to thoroughly examine your case and craft the optimal defense strategy for your situation. 

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