Most research on white-collar offenders’ criminal legal processing assess whether white-collar “status” is a benefit or a liability at sentencing, comparing white-collar defendants with those accused of a similar index offense. Missing is whether disparities exist among white-collar defendants and at what stage of processing they occur. We focus on Medicare fraud by physicians to identify potential sources of bias resulting in favorable or unfavorable outcomes. Results show that the prominent sources of processing dissimilarity are legally relevant characteristics. Some extra-legal factors impact processing outcomes but effects vary across decision stages. We conclude with implications for theory and future research.
(Publisher abstract provided.)