The phone rings.
You: Hello?
Stranger: Hello, we are calling from the FBI. We need your password to retrieve your accounts and get them up and running.
You get suspicious and decide to trace this call. Moreover, it comes from a suburb of another country.
Have you heard of scammers? Do you see the news covering victims of digital crime? You have, and so have we all.
Moreover, As society progresses with time, so does crime, unfortunately.
What are the most common Types Of Crime? Why should you know about the different types of crimes? Well, as a conscious member of society, it’s always best to keep up with the changing times.
In this article, we will be discussing the different types of crime, the motives behind them, and the penalties under the Criminal law of the United States.
However, if you have further doubts, feel free to leave a comment under the article. We will help you get in touch with a competent criminal lawyer.
So, let’s begin.
What Is Crime?
For you to know the types of crime, it is essential to know what constitutes a crime in the first place.
Moreover, The answer seems simple, but Types Of Crime can include multiple mundane activities we participate in every day, knowingly or unknowingly.
So, What Is The Definition Of Crime?
According to Merriam-Webster, Crime is an illegal act for which the government can punish someone.
However, for an act to become criminal, it must meet certain legal requirements.
Components Of A Crime
Under criminal law, all types of crimes have to have certain elements to prove that the person is guilty.
Moreover, the specific facts of each crime indeed vary, but these Essentials within Types Of Crime are present in each and every crime.
Was There A Guilty Act?
Actus reus is one of the principles of criminal law. Moreover, It means that the act should consist of something wrong.
Was There A Guilty Mind?
The person committing the act should have wrong intentions behind doing it.
Was There Any Direct Correlation Between Act And Consequence?
There should be a direct relation between the act and the consequence. T
To make this easier, this means that if you hit a person, and the results show that he actually died of a brain stroke from an inner-lying condition. Moreover, you are not guilty of his death.
However, if hitting the person causes him to have a stroke, you are guilty of killing him.
Did The Act And Intention Take Place Simultaneously?
The guilty act and guilty mind should happen simultaneously. If you thought of harming a person ten years ago and killed him by accident yesterday.
Moreover, this cannot constitute a crime.
Was The Person Capable Of Committing The Crime?
To be able to commit a crime, you must have the mental capacity to understand right from wrong. Thus, the person is mentally unstable due to mental illness, age, or other factors, they will not face criminal charges.
Was The Person Forced To Commit The Crime?
The act should be a result of their free will. If someone forces you or threatens to kill you if you don’t commit the crime, the act will not be criminal.
Types Of Crime: Criminal Crime
Crime as a whole is a very broad category. Thus, to help you better understand, we will now discuss the different types of crimes that fit into different categories. Let’s begin.
Types Of Crime: Violent Crimes
Crime as a whole is a very broad category. Thus, to help you better understand, we will now discuss the different types of crimes that fit into different categories. Let’s begin.
The most violent types of crime can include the following:
Murder
There are different degrees of murder according to the criminal law of the United States. However, motives may vary. First-degree murder. Second-degree murders are intentional ones, too, but they are devoid of pre-meditation.
First-degree murder is a very serious charge. It can include very severe penalties ranging from life imprisonment without parole to even the death penalty. All other degrees of murder can include presentation sentences of several years to life imprisonment.
Manslaughter
Manslaughter can be intentional and unintentional. Intentional manslaughter can be a result of rage, fear, or anger. The unintentional type can be the result of negligence or reckless behavior. Punishment for voluntary manslaughter can include a prison sentence of several years. Involuntary men’s slaughter can include imprisonment, fines, probation, or all of these.
Assault
Assault is the intentional act by which you can cause the fear of grave bodily harm to another person. There are different types of assault, such as simple, aggravated, or assault with a deadly weapon. The penalties for assault can vary based on the severity. You can get up to a few months in imprisonment, probation, heavy fines, felony convictions, and even longer present sentences. Assaulting officials of the United States Government, such as a Police Officer or a federal employee, can amount to longer present sentences.
Robbery
Robbery is a crime in which a person takes property from another by the use of force and intimidation. There are various types, such as simple, armed, or aggravated robbery.
Robbery can amount to prison sentences, fines, or both, depending on the outcome of it.
Rape
Rape is the act of non-consensual intercourse. It can include threats or intimidation to conduct sexual assault, rape of a minor, also called statutory rape, or marital rape. Rape can amount to long prison sentences depending on how violent the crime was. A Convict may also have to pay fines and medical reimbursements along with serving time in prison.
Kidnapping
Kidnapping is the unlawful abduction or restraint of a person by use of force and intimidation. Simple kidnapping, aggravated kidnapping, and human trafficking are the most common types. Penalties for kidnapping may include minimal to several years and prison, payment of fines, entry into the list of registered sex offenders, payment for medical expenses, or therapy of the victim.
Types Of Crime: Civil Crimes
Property Crimes
These are the most common types of crime in the United States. According to the reports by the FBI, there were a whopping number of 2,109.9 property crimes every 100,000 people in the year 2019. You might see larceny/theft, burglary, and motor vehicle theft as the most common manifestations. Let us know about these types of crimes in a bit more detail.
Burglary
Burglary is a crime where a person illegally enters a building or property with the intention of committing a crime inside.
- Burglary can be residential, commercial, or a simple breaking and entering.
- The main motives behind a burglary are usually to steal something valuable, to cause vandalism, to cause destruction of the property, to get information that is hidden in the building, or it can also be done to commit further serious crimes.
- Penalties for burglary can include time in prison. A person receives longer sentences if they have a criminal history. A burger convicted me also has to pay a fine, damages, or both. Sometimes they are also kept on probation. Penalties for burglary differ from state to state and on the severity of the crime.
Theft
Theft involves illegally taking or appropriating property that belongs to someone else.
- It is done with the intention to permanently take the property away from them. The more valuable the property, the more the penalty.
- Theft can be of various types, petty theft, shoplifting, auto theft, Grand Theft Auto, etc. The motives behind this crime can be financial gain or impulse.
Penalties for tests include time in prison, fine, payment of damages, or probation. The penalty really depends on the crime itself.
Larceny
Larseny is a special type of theft. It is when a person illegally takes the property of another with the intention of depriving them of it forever.
- Much like theft, larceny is done for financial gain, greed, and even out of desperation.
- The penalties for larceny include the same as theft. It can include prison sentences, fines, restitution money, and even probation.
Arson
Arson is a criminal offense where the person is setting fire to a property with the clear intention of causing destruction and damage. Although arson is not a type of violent crime, it can lead to a risk to life and public safety.
- Simple Arson is when a person sets a building or property on fire without there being any injury or death.
- It takes the form of aggravated arsen when the fire leads to a person getting seriously injured or even dying.
There is even something called a serial arsen. This is when a criminal repeats such acts very frequently.
Arsen can be a result of Revenge, ill intentions, or even mental issues. Penalties for this crime include prison sentences, restitution fees, fines, and probation.
Vandalism
Vandalism is a type of crime where a person deliberately destroys or damages property belonging to another person.
- Did you know that Graffiti is a type of vandalism? It can also include window breaking, smashing of a car windshield, breaking down someone’s door, or other such violent activities.
- Vandalism is often accompanied by robbery and theft. It is also a very common site in case of protests and marches.
- Since vandalism does not involve physically harming a person or death, life sentences all death sentences are usually not awarded.
However, criminal charges, fines, community service, restitution fee payment, and probation can result from such a crime.
Types Of Crime: White-Collar Crimes
We all know how David and Moira Rose got betrayed by their business manager, who embezzled them out of all their money.
Did you know that white-collar crimes make up for a whole 4% of all incidents reported to the FBI? 35% of businesses in the US are affected by these crimes every year. 5000 arrests related to white-collar crime are carried out for every 100,000 people.
White Collar crimes are non-violent crimes. Amongst the different types of crime, white-collar crimes are the closest to civil offenses. They affect businesses or other Financial Institutions. White Collar is an umbrella term that includes fraud, embezzlement, money laundering, other forms of corruption, and even tax fraud.
These types of crimes are carried out for financial gain and also to keep up a “respectable position in society.”
Since these crimes involve large amounts of money, they can lead to long prison sentences. The person responsible may also have to pay financial damages and fines.
Some White-Collar crimes get so severe that a person may even go bankrupt while paying their restitution and fee amount. In such cases, the government proceeds to confiscate their assets, liquidate them, and use the money to pay the victim.
Fraud
There is no better way to define fraud other than deception. Illegally deceiving someone for financial gain, thereby causing their financial loss, is known as fraud.
- Fraud can include misrepresentation of facts concealing information, and any other manipulative and deceitful action.
- Today the United States witnesses various types of fraud on a daily basis. Wire fraud, credit card fraud, insurance fraud, healthcare fraud, the list is endless. If it is a severe case, then prison time can be up to several decades. Other forms of penalty include fines, restitution money payment, asset forfeiture, and probation with community service.
Embezzlement
This is a type of fraud. It is when a person who is interested in the responsibility of someone else’s money uses it or steals it for their own gain. It is basically a fancier version of theft. However, it is different because the person committing the crime was interested in the duty of managing matters.
Corporate embezzlement and employee embezzlement are very common in the United States.
However, there are other forms that are not too popular. For instance, if your lawyer has been charging you sums of money but not doing their duty, it would be classified as client embezzlement.
Insider Trading
This happens when a person illegally buys, sells, or deals in securities of a company. It is also when a person who is an employee of an organization discloses secret information about the company outside it.
- It is often seen in the corporate world where competing companies pay insiders for secret information.
- Often known as corporate espionage, it includes corporate insiders giving out confidential information about upcoming mergers or other significant matters.
Insider trading or corporate espionage is taken very seriously. It can lead to serious criminal charges, fines, lawsuits, damage to reputation, and even disqualification of trade license.
The United States Security and Exchange Commission and the Department of Justice of the United States look into such violations very seriously.
Money Laundering
Money laundering is a crime. It is when an entity tries to pass “black money” as “white money.” We have often seen big corporations trying to waive off allegations of illegally acquired capital by donating money to charity.
- They also try to secretly send money to an Offshore bank account to avoid suspicions from the US government. Tycoons accused of money laundering have often tried to hide their illegal money through real estate purchases and other Investments.
- The United States government does not take these accusations lightly. There is a separate Department to handle money laundering charges in the US called the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. Apart from this, the Department of Justice and Internal Revenue Service also look into these matters.
If these criminal charges are proven against the person, they can face imprisonment, fines, civil penalties, restitution payment, forfeiture of assets, and other implications.
Identity Theft
A discussion on the types of crimes would be incomplete without this category. How often have we asked a friend to report a fake account that has posted our pictures and pretended to be us? That is identity theft.
- However, there are way more severe versions of it.
- There can be financial identity theft when someone steals your credit card and uses it to buy a bunch of stuff.
- Or, they may be using your insurance information for their medical charges. Well, all of that amounts to criminal identity fraud.
Penalties for this crime can include imprisonment, fines, restitution payment to the victim, or all of the above. If you are a victim of identity theft, you can file a report with the nearest police station or even lodge a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.
Types Of Crime: Drug Crimes
According to the reports made by the FBI, 1,155,610 arrests resulted from drug law violations in 2020. 86.7% of the arrests were made due to charges of possession; 13.3% of these were related to the charges regarding the sale and manufacture of drugs.
The Bureau of Justice Statistics is responsible for looking into drug-related crimes.
2 in 5 of all rape, sexual assaults, and robberies were reported to be committed under the influence of drugs.
Most drug offenders and property offenders have admitted to drug use at the time of the offense. 24% of all violent offenders reported drug use at the time of the crimes. 74% of state prisoners with mental health problems reported dependence and drug abuse. Drug crimes are the types of crimes that can be related to the manufacture, production, distribution, and sale of drugs. A person convicted of these types of crimes will have a permanent record stating these charges.
Possession Of Drugs
It is punishable by law if the person carries the drug, has it in their belonging, or in their area of residence, even if they are not using it.
- We all know how Gigi Hadid was recently arrested for the possession of marijuana.
- Possession of drugs is such a serious allegation that even if their found in your vehicle, you can be arrested.
You can get criminal charges, fines, probation, mandatory drug treatment programs, and even community service as forms of penalty for possession of drugs.
Distribution Of Drugs
The distribution of drugs is the act of selling, delivering, transferring, or exchanging i
The distribution of drugs is the act of selling, delivering, transferring, or exchanging illegal drugs to others.
- Distribution can happen in exchange for money or other valuable things.
– Suppose the authority finds you selling drugs to others on the street,
– dealing with the supply of drugs,
– shipping it to other places, selling it online,
– or establishing drug distribution networks online.
In that case, you can face criminal prosecution for drug distribution.
- Distribution of drugs to make money or to be a part of a large criminal network is a serious crime. Some drug addicts prefer to be in the distribution network to access drugs easily.
However, penalties that one may face for drug distribution depend on the quantity of drugs and their past criminal history. You might have to pay fines or restitution for distribution.
Drug Trafficking
Drug trafficking is the transportation, distribution, importation, or exportation of drugs carried out illegally. It is a serious criminal offense that can involve multiple nations and administrative bodies. Drug trafficking is a type of organized crime.
It can be of various types:
- International drug trafficking,
- domestic drug trafficking,
- trafficking carried out by air,
- maritime trafficking, and
- trafficking across borders through vehicles, tunnels, or other means.
Since it can have damaging effects on communities and cause instability, the penalties for drug trafficking can vary depending on the type and amount of drugs.
Moreover, A person convicted of these charges can get prison sentences that last from 3 to 15 years or even more.
Moreover, They might have to pay a fine of $100,000 or more. Some countries even award the death penalty for drug-related charges (China, Iran, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, etc.)
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) are some of the official bodies responsible for looking into drug-related charges.
Manufacturing Of Drugs
The illegal production, synthesis, creation, and cultivation of illegal drugs in the United States is a crime.
- Many drug dealers illegally grow plants such as marijuana and poppy to synthesize illegal drugs from them.
- Manufacturing drugs is a serious crime.
- The penalties for drug manufacturing in the USA will again depend on the type and the amount of drugs.
However, a person convicted of this crime is looking at 1 to 10 years in prison. They might also have to pay a fine of $ 50,000 or more.
Moreover, The court might also mandate community service probation, house arrest, or other forms of confinement for such individuals.
Cultivation Of Drugs
While the manufacture of drugs refers to the chemical manufacturing process of drugs.
The cultivation of drugs is a criminal offense in the United States.
- Marijuana cultivation, opium cultivation through poppy seeds, Coca plant cultivation for the production of cocaine- all of these are illegal.
- The motive behind drug cultivation is usually financial gain and personal use.
Moreover, Under the federal law of the United States, cultivation of less than 50 marijuana plants can leave you with up to 5 years in prison and $250000 in fines.
Types Of Crime: Cybercrimes
Cybercrimes are the types of crimes where criminal and illegal deeds are carried out by digital or electronic means.
Moreover, It can include computer networks, the internet, your phone, the automatic teller machine at the bank, or any other piece of technology. The criminals get into the digital systems to gain access and steal your information to commit fraud and illegal activities.
Moreover, Types of cybercrimes can involve hacking, phishing, identity theft, online fraud, data breaches, malware, cyberbullying, child exploitation, cyber espionage, etc.
Let us get a closer look into some of the most common cybercrimes.
Hacking
Hacking is when a person gets access to your computer systems, network, software, or digital devices through manipulation or illegal means.
Moreover, Hackers are criminals who exploit your vulnerability online to gain access to sensitive information through which they can carry out their illegal activities.
- Cyber espionage is a type of hacking through which sensitive information, intellectual property, or trade secrets are stolen for financial gain.
- Passwords, credit card information, and such sensitive data are often stolen through keylogging, a type of hacking.
- Ransomware is another type of Hacking system through which encrypted files are sent to the victim’s computer, usually demanding payment or stealing information.
- Phishing attacks are very common these days, where deceptive emails are sent to users in hopes that they will fill out confidential information such as financial details and passwords.
Hacking under US law is a white-collar crime. Section 1030 of 18 of the United States Code deals with hacking and prohibits any form of damaging of devices to trafficking passwords.
Moreover, Any violation of section 1030 can lead to a fine and 10 years of prison. Hacking of Federal information can lead to long prison sentences and hefty fines.
Cyberfraud
The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act states that:
- “obtaining national security information through illegal computer access”,
- “sharing or retaining it”,
- “trespassing into a computer operated by the US government”, and
- “engaging in any sort of computer fraud or unauthorized access”,
Moreover, it imposes criminal liability on an individual, and the State Supreme Court will be liable to file a case on the person.
The act is a civil and criminal law that prohibits a large range of illegal Computer-based behaviours.
Moreover, The act states that any person who commits cyber fraud can face from 10 to 20 years in prison.
Suppose they get unauthorized access to a computer having national security information.
Moreover, In that case, they can get imprisonment of up to 10 years for a computer used in interstate or foreign commerce, imprisonment of up to 1 year, and for knowingly accessing a computer without authorization up to 5 years.
Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying is when a person uses the internet or other forms of technology to harass or intimidate another person.
The crime of cyberbullying consists of:
- persistent,
- ever-present,
- permanent, and
- is often less visible to adults.
It can be seen most commonly on social media platforms in the form of mean or unflattering comments, pictures, memes, or messages.
Moreover, Petty jokes where a person continuously asks the other one to kill themselves can qualify as cyberbullying, too. You can report it to the US government website StopBullying.gov.
Moreover, This crime can lead to prison sentences or fines for adults and expulsions and suspensions for minors. Over the years, the government of the United States has taken multiple initiatives to address cyberbullying in educational institutions.
Conclusion
In this article, we have discussed in detail all the major types of crimes that are currently prevalent in the United States.
Moreover, We hope you found it informative and helpful. Criminal laws keep changing to keep up with the new types of crimes that come to light with each passing day.
Moreover, It is our duty as responsible citizens of the United States to keep us updated about the newest crimes and criminal laws of our nation.
