Public Funds Embezzlement: A Major Criminal Offense - Essay Sample

Introduction

Embezzlement of Public Funds is a major criminal offense where the people in power fraudulently and secretly lead to the misappropriation of different assets and money that belongs to the public. The people who misuse such funds include different agents who are entrusted with the properties to distribute equally to the general public and ensure that development is easily realized. Public funds are acquired as a result of people in a country relentlessly working to ensure that the social facilities in their societies like hospitals, schools, roads, and other infrastructure of recreation. Individuals suspected of embezzlement of public funds face serious consequences due to the negative effects that this crime has on society and the country at large.

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Cases of public funds embezzlement are taken as serious offenses by the federal judges and those who are found guilty face several years in prison. Other ways that the perpetrators of the embezzlement schemes get punished include fines, probation, and restitution (Anwar, Matros & Sen Gupta, 2018). Administration of these penalties depends on the way the crime gets charged, the state where the embezzlement takes place, and the circumstances that led to the case. Individuals found guilty of embezzlement of public funds are divided into two mainly misdemeanor convictions and felony convictions. Misdemeanor convictions of embezzlement of funds are mainly punished with imprisonment of at least a year or a fine of 1000 dollars or less. Felony convictions, on the other hand, are charged a bigger fine or ten years in jail.

Other ways that perpetrators of the crime are punished include probation sentences where individuals charged with the crime are expected to comply with different conditions set by the law, such as meeting a probation officer regularly and asking for permission from the court whenever they want to move out of the state. The probation period for individuals found guilty ranges from one year to five years based on the court's decision (Anwar, Matros & Sen Gupta, 2018). After being found guilty, the perpetrator of the embezzlement of public funds can also be asked to restitute all misappropriated funds to the victims and resign from the position of power they hold. Restitution, however, does not involve any fine or jail term, and it is designed to ensure that the victims get back their misused funds.

Embezzlement of public funds has several consequences that are evident in various countries where such cases are reported. The national security impacts that embezzlement causes on countries include competition emerging between communities to ensure that they acquire part of the limited resources that remain in the country after the leaders misuse a large part of the available resources (Geppert, 2016). This competition has caused strikes and protests in many countries, with many lives being lost as law enforcers retaliate to the demonstrators.

Embezzlement also has negative impacts on social security as the citizens of the country are faced with injustices and effortless struggles to ensure that they achieve their human rights. When money needed to develop services for the general public is siphoned by some individuals in the government, the freedom of access to social amenities like water, education, and health is taken away from the people (Geppert, 2016). Funds that are sent for aid are also misused by a few individuals, and the people who require the services most end up struggling in poverty.

Conclusion

Embezzlement takes place in a government or by employees who wrongly use local state and national funding for personal gains. The people who are elected to fight corruption and deal with embezzlement issues are the people who are reported to be involved in them. Misdemeanor and felony convictions exist in court, and they help to determine what type of punishment the perpetrators will face. The punishments are jail terms, probation, restitution, or fines. Governments in various countries should create strict measures to deal with the embezzlement of funds by certain individuals as it would cause serious effects on their economies or create wars between their citizens.

References

Anwar, C. M. S., Matros, A., & Sen Gupta, S. (2018). Tax Evasion, Embezzlement, and Public Good Provision. https://eprints.lancs.ac.uk/id/eprint/124230/1/LancasterWP2018_004.pdf

Geppert, J. P. (2016). Relationship of embezzlement and the economic condition in the United States economy (Doctoral dissertation, Capella University).