Bribery in Oklahoma
The category of white-collar crime includes bribery, which is an offer of gifts, money, services or anything else of value in exchange for favorable treatment or influence by someone in a position of authority or power. Bribery can take place within private companies and corporations as well as the public and political arenas.
Some examples of bribery include:
- Offering an athlete money to purposely lose a competition (“throwing the game”)
- Presenting a gift to a local official in exchange for an agreement to vote a particular way on a matter of public interest
- Paying a human resources employee off to ensure that a particular candidate’s resume gets pushed to the top of the pile
Penalties for Bribery
Oklahoma’s bribery laws mostly pertain to public officials and employees. If convicted of this offense, you could be sentenced to between five and 10 years in jail and be subject to up to $5,000 in fines.