Table of Contents
Rationalization is the story you tell yourself so a crime feels fair. Mine was that my partner owed me money, so the commissions I kept through an accounting glitch were mine to collect. A judge wants to hear that story in your own words.
The Palm Trio on the side of the road
A week after Kenny turned me down, a client called to buy 5,000 shares of Amazon. The commission was $5,000. My share was $1,250.
I had found a glitch in Bear's accounting system. I kept all $5,000. Two weeks later he sold, and I kept that commission too.
On the drive home from Century City to Studio City, I'd pull over, take out my Palm Trio and its little stylus, and work the numbers: what I'd taken that day against what Kenny would owe me if he paid me fairly. That's how I convinced myself it was okay.
I didn't think I was stealing. I thought I was collecting.
Judge Stephen Bough told Michael that when a defendant gives probation a full account of how he got there, that's "good advocacy."
For years, my full account was that Kenny owed me.
What to do this week
Write the sentence you told yourself, in the words you used at the time. Keep it for yourself.
Questions people ask
What are common fraud rationalizations?
"I'll pay it back." "They owe me." "Everyone does it." "Nobody gets hurt." The exact words you used matter more than the category.
Should I tell probation how I rationalized my crime?
Talk with your lawyer first about what to put in writing. Judge Stephen Bough has said a full account of how you got there is good advocacy.
Related: Brenda Campbell booked personal charges as business expenses at an RV dealership. Before she knew her sentence, she stood in front of business students and explained how she talked herself into it: Federal embezzlement sentencing
Read next: Part 5: Afraid You'll Get Caught for Fraud at Work? What It Costs
Written by
Justin Paperny
Founder White Collar Advice
