NCJ Number
67045
Date Published
1974
Length
85 pages
Annotation
THE UTAH ECONOMIC CRIME UNIT, ESTABLISHED THROUGH A FEDERAL GRANT IN 1974 TO COMBAT ECONOMIC CRIME, REPORTS ON ITS STRUCTURE, PROGRESS, AND FUTURE.
Abstract
THE SPECIFIC PURPOSES OF THE STUDY ARE TO EXAMINE (1) THE STRUCTURE AND ACTIVITIES OF THE UNIT IN ITS FIRST YEAR, (2) THE NATURE AND SCOPE OF ECONOMIC CRIME ACTIVITIES IN UTAH, (3) THE CLIMATE UNDER WHICH INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION OF WHITE-COLLAR CRIMINALS TAKES PLACE, AND (4) THE PRACTICABILITY OF CONTINUING THE UNIT. INFORMATION FOR THE REPORT WAS OBTAINED FROM THE FILES OF THE ECONOMIC CRIME UNIT AND THE COMBINED EXPERIENCES OF UNIT STAFF. THE ANALYSIS OF ALL COMPLETED AND PENDING PROSECUTIONS INDICATES THAT THE ECONOMIC CRIME UNIT HAS EXPERIENCED CONSIDERABLE SUCCESS IN APPROACHING UTAH'S ECONOMIC CRIME PROBLEM, BUT COULD OPERATE MORE EFFECTIVELY WITH THREE ADDITIONAL INVESTIGATORS AND ONE FULL-TIME SECRETARY. BECAUSE WHITE-COLLAR CRIME IN UTAH WAS FOUND TO BE EXTENSIVE, THE UNIT SHOULD EXPAND ITS PRESENT SCOPE (COVERING SECURITIES SCHEMES, KITING, ADVANCE FEE SCHEMES) TO INCLUDE INSURANCE FRAUD AND CRIMINAL ANTITRUST. WITH REGARD TO THE CLIMATE IN WHICH THE UNIT WORKS, THE IMPROVED COLLABORATION BETWEEN ALL FEDERAL AND STATE AGENCIES IN INVESTIGATING AND PROSECUTING ECONOMIC CRIME IS EMPHASIZED. TO ASSURE THE FUTURE ACTIVITIES OF THE UNIT, A REQUEST OF THE STATE LEGISLATURE FOR FUNDS IS SUGGESTED, IN ANTICIPATION OF THE POSSIBLE INABILITY TO RENEW THE FEDERAL GRANT UNDER WHICH THE UNIT NOW OPERATES. TABLES AND FOOTNOTES ARE INCLUDED. DOCUMENTS SUBMITTED IN 1974 IN APPLICATION FOR FUNDS FROM LEAA ARE APPENDED.