Resource Center

The Importance of Federal Criminal Record Searches

Written by Orange Tree Employment Screening | Jan 15, 2019 6:00:00 AM

When a federal crime is committed by a celebrity or someone known in the public eye, it’s basically public knowledge.  When Martha Stewart was charged with insider trading, it was a federal crime, and a public scandal. The problem here is that your employees are not Martha Stewart (we assume) and any federal crimes on their records won’t be reflected on a basic county or state criminal record search.  The issue is that committing a federal crime is a big deal. A deal that you’ll want to be aware of when hiring new employees.

Federal criminal background checks provide federal crime information from 94 federal district courts nationwide.

These crimes range from tax evasion to robbery and kidnapping.  The impact that forgoing this information can have on your business is exponential.  

If your employees are handling secure or sensitive information, it is absolutely crucial that every person working for you undergo a federal record search.  


This not only protects the company from potential mishandling of information, but it also protects your customers and their information.  Giving your customers the peace of mind that their information is in good hands will improve your relationship with them, and your reputation in general.


Bribery, fraud, and copyright infringement are all examples of federal crimes that if committed, will be reflected on a federal record search.  


They also happen to be some of the most common federal crimes committed.  Positions like CPA’s, financial or bank employees handle important assets for customers on a daily basis.  Those that have been found guilty of federal crimes could be handling your customer information, and without conducting a federal check, you would be operating unaware.  


Federal searches are specifically useful in administering a more thorough search for your company. This is especially important in industries like the financial industry, or others where crimes like fraud, embezzlement, or the like are relevant in the job.


Many companies have foregone the federal search process when conducting background checks on new or current employees in the past. That trend is quickly changing as federal criminal searches are becoming more commonplace as companies are recognizing the importance of having a more comprehensive criminal search.


To learn more about how a federal criminal record search can benefit your business, contact us today.