GlossaryCrime classifications
Embezzlement
Embezzlement is the unlawful taking for one's own use of money or property that had been entrusted to one's care or control.
Embezzlement is the unlawful taking for one's own use of money or property that had been entrusted to one's care or control. The entrusted relationship is central to the statistical definition. An embezzlement entry in a crime dataset records an offense classification, rather than a court determination that a person is guilty.
Why entrustment matters
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation's NIBRS definitions describe property placed in the offender's care, custody, or control. This helps explain why an allegation involving an employee's handling of funds may be classified differently from an outside person's taking property from a store.
In a record, look for the reporting category separately from the statute or charge description. “Embezzlement” can summarize a broader statistical concept even when the jurisdiction's charging document uses another legal title.
Example
Hypothetical example: A community association authorizes its treasurer to manage dues in its bank account. An investigation alleges that the treasurer transferred association money to pay personal bills. The agency records the allegation as embezzlement.
The important relationship is the authorized control over the association's money followed by the alleged unauthorized personal use. The amount transferred describes alleged financial loss; it does not indicate how many victims, incidents, or court convictions should be counted without further information.
Common confusion
A bookkeeping error, unexplained shortage, and allegation of embezzlement are different descriptions. A short public record may not contain enough evidence to distinguish them independently.
Fraud emphasizes deception used to obtain value. Embezzlement emphasizes misuse of entrusted value. Both can involve money, so “financial crime” alone is too broad to explain the classification.
Reading local records
For statistics, use the dataset's offense definition and counting rules. For a legal allegation, read the cited statute and charging document. Do not infer a legal dollar threshold or punishment from the national statistical heading; those details require jurisdiction-specific authority.