Criminal Background
I have a colleague (superior), my friend also, who confessed he was convicted and charged with committing a crime back in his hay days as a teen. We were drunk so I verbally shrugged it off assuming he was just busting my balls. Insulted by my belief system, some days later, dude literally shows me his completion of parole certificate. I still don't believe him. How did he manage to wiggle pass HR?
Columbia grad, top bucket performer, family man. It just doesn't add up. I tried searching his name in the Connecticut DOC system but nothing shows up. He's fucking around!! Or he isn't?
Why wouldnt you believe it, Columbia grads, along with every Ivy School (or any private school for that matter) has more than its fair share of partiers and rich/entitled kids with an attitude that they can do whatever they want and get away with it, and sometimes it doesnt work out that way and you get caught. Who knows what he got in trouble for, he could have lost it one night and like drove his girlfriend's car into a wall or something out of drunken anger, not something that is acceptable, but also not something that excludes you from being able to recover, repent and be a strong performer in finance or some other industry.
So you think HR just said "Fuck it. He made a mistake 'as a kid' but graduated from Ivy" ?
Define ‘crime’ did he murder someone, beat someone near death, rape someone or was he being a stupid teenager and got into a fight, get drunk, shoplift, etc...
The crime was violent on paper but when he explained the story it was quite frankly amateur and stupid if you ask me. He says he took someone's sneakers with an air soft BB gun. Charged with 1st degree robbery, 2nd degree possession, 3rd degree unlawful intent. Did a year in the slammer. Sounds like some shit out of a movie. Can't be real. What judges gives someone that little bit of time for something deemed violent?
That sounds hilarious, the person he took the sneakers from deserved it, guy couldn’t take a joke. As for ‘only’ getting a year, IMO that’s too much time for something so harmless, but I guess the law is the law, and the judge didn’t want to ruin his life. As you said it was amateur and stupid, not actually violent.
I think there’s a law that a minor’s criminal record can get expunged once they become adults as long as the crime is not serious, so maybe that’s why you couldn’t find his name and why he didn’t have to disclose to HR. Not sure though.
He was 17 when he committed the crime but the state decided to charge him as an adult so the record should still be there right? Adult crim records don't fade. I did some research and learned that after 7 years of clean "citizenship", you're record is no longer visible unless companies perform an extensive background check. Most companies do, especially banks.
Probably sealed.
I'm sure he'd love to see that you're posting all these details on a public message board...
Chill out Mr. Compliance
You'd be surprised - I have a number of misdemeanors from my late teens (took me a bit longer to grow up). I've worked for numerous banks and F500 companies. They always ask, but if you provide a decent story and show you've grown from it, usually isn't a big deal. Thankfully its only HR that knows, so no one in my department is aware. With that said, if they're financial crimes or serious theft, that may be a different story.
My experience in my home state is that after 7 years, they purge their records, so you can't dig up the file after 7 years but it still shows as a charge. Most banks I've worked for made me do a finger print, which goes to the DoJ, meaning they'll be able to see any/all charge(s) indefinitely. The problem is most places will ask for documentation showing it had been dismissed or dropped to a lesser charge, which after 7 years isn't available. So if anyone reading this has had a run in with the law, make sure you go get that paperwork before it gets purged and keep it all on file, because you'll likely need it in the future.
Thanks for the info. He's a good man in my book. To compliment what you said, we all do dumb shit as kids. I was just concerned about HR for him is all.
Ya, they likely know. And if not, he's good now that he's hired
If you’re white they don’t care.
Sucks to be a minority.
Et dolores et accusantium nam mollitia illum. Delectus similique cum sit sit molestias voluptatem atque. Harum doloribus id molestiae. Voluptas non eum rerum deleniti maiores earum architecto. Nobis omnis nostrum error voluptate.
Ut placeat commodi quia ex aperiam. Qui veniam voluptate quisquam numquam est quia. Quis perspiciatis iste quae dignissimos dolor id. Non aspernatur possimus et.
Exercitationem et quia et consequuntur quam. At illum eos natus et occaecati rerum voluptatem. Debitis commodi quis adipisci corrupti nulla. Perferendis voluptates voluptas dolor atque.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...