Is absconding with company funds a civil or criminal ... crime? If I'm an employee at a game company and take $182,000 out of the company till and walk away, I'm pretty sure it's a criminal matter. If the owner of the game company walks away with all the money, is that merely a civil case, failure to honor contracts?
Whether there's criminal liability would be a question of US state law (as opposed to federal), so it could vary depending on the state. As one example, New York law seems to say (based on quick Googling) that there would be criminal liability if it could be shown that the defendant intended to run away with the money instead of using it to fulfill the contract.
> Whether there's criminal liability would be a question of US state law (as opposed to federal), so it could vary depending on the state.
Federal law could apply, as well, depending on the circumstances or means. I'm pretty sure I've seen cases where schemes where running away with the money was intended in -- that is, before particular parties were convinced to spend money that went to the company -- prosecuted under federal mail and/or wire fraud statutes
