Crime nearly sorted out: Charlie's collared (7)
I believe the answer is:
larceny
'crime' is the definition.
(larceny is a kind of crime)
'nearly sorted out charlie's collared' is the wordplay.
'sorted out' is an anagram indicator.
'charlie' becomes 'c' (phonetic alphabet: alpha, bravo, charlie etc.).
'collared' is an insertion indicator (collar can mean to capture or apprehend).
'nearly' anagrammed gives 'lareny'.
'lareny' going around 'c' is 'LARCENY'.
(Other definitions for larceny that I've seen before include "Theft of personal property" , "Legal term for theft" , "Theft of personal goods" , "Criminal activity" , "Robbery" .)