Legal Question in Criminal Law in Massachusetts

I was fired from a job a few months ago, and was told I was misusing the company credit card they gave me. When they fired me they told me they were keeping my last check, which they did. Now I have just been served with a summons charging me with Larceny over $250 by single scheme, Larceny under $250 and Credit Card Fraud over $250. Now when I was in possesion of this card I used it to buy items for the company I worked at. I did have an addiction problem, which I got help for, during that period. The women that was my manager at the time allowed me to borrow money once, which I paid back, and every time I used that card, no matter what it was for, I had authorization. I also made an agreement with her that I would pay anything I spent back. Now I am facing this. I figured if they kept my last paycheck that would make up for what I owed. I am not a criminal, I have never been in trouble before!


Asked on 12/30/11, 11:38 am

1 Answer from Attorneys
Christopher B. Coughlin Coughlin Law Group, PC

You need to contact a lawyer asap. There are multiple levels to your legal needs. First and foremost, you need a criminal defense lawyer. You are being charged with a felony and the earlier you address it (before the scheduled court date is ideal) the better. It sounds like there are facts in dispute that could potentially help you resolve the matter before it impacts your criminal record.

Next, you have a potential wage act claim against your former employer. Regardless of whether you did anything wrong, their action of withholding your final paycheck is questionable. If they were indeed in violation of Massachusetts' Wage Act, they could be liable to you for 3 times the amount they improperly withheld. This might be a helpful tool when discussing possible outcomes for the criminal case.

Without more details it is impossible to give a full assessment of your case. Feel free to contact my firm for a free consultation.

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Answered on 12/30/11, 11:46 am


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