The Challenge
Our client, a bookkeeper at a Murrieta medical device company, was accused of embezzlement and grand theft of approximately $250,000 (Penal Code §§ 503 and 487) — a false accusation, as our investigation revealed. Company executives had fabricated the allegations as a preemptive strike to discredit the client, attempting to conceal a multi-million-dollar fraud scheme involving counterfeit spinal surgery hardware — a scheme that eventually drew national investigative coverage for its impact on patient safety.
Our Strategy
We shifted the focus from the defense to an investigation into the company’s internal financial practices. By uncovering evidence that the accusations were a smokescreen for the executives’ own fraudulent activities, we effectively dismantled the prosecution’s case. We presented proof of the broader scheme to the authorities, demonstrating that the client was being used as a scapegoat for a larger corporate conspiracy. As a result of our findings, the criminal investigation into our client was terminated.
The Result
DISMISSED
Your Case Belongs at the Southwest Justice Center.
Your Defense Belongs Here.
If you were arrested in Temecula, Murrieta, Menifee, Wildomar, Lake Elsinore, Winchester, or French Valley, your future will likely be decided at the Southwest Justice Center (SWJC) on Auld Road. In these courtrooms, local knowledge is the ultimate advantage. Since 1999, Nic Cocis has been a weekly fixture in the SWJC, appearing before the same judges and negotiating with the same Riverside County prosecutors for over 25 years. We don’t just know the law — we know the specific nuances, procedural quirks, and judicial tendencies of the Southwest District. Whether you are facing a felony or a misdemeanor, you need a firm that treats the Southwest Justice Center as its home turf.
