RICO Lawyers | Phoenix Office
2415 E Camelback Rd, Suite 700, Phoenix, AZ 85016
RICO Lawyers | Phoenix Office
2425 East Camelback Road, Suite 900, Phoenix, AZ 85016
RICO Lawyers | Mesa Office | Serving Phoenix, AZ
1731 West Baseline Rd. Suite #101, Mesa, AZ 85202
RICO Lawyers | Phoenix Office
2111 East Highland Avenue, Suite B-250, Phoenix, AZ 85016
RICO Lawyers | Phoenix Office
714 N. 3rd St., Suite 4, Phoenix, AZ 85004
RICO Lawyers | Phoenix Office
2025 N. 3rd Street, Suite 157, Phoenix, AZ 85004
RICO Lawyers | Phoenix Office
1850 North Central Avenue, Suite 1400, Phoenix, AZ 85004
RICO Lawyers | Phoenix Office
3200 N Central Ave, Suite 1600, Phoenix, AZ 85012
RICO Lawyers | Phoenix Office
2 N. Central Ave, 18th Floor, Suite 1929, Phoenix, AZ 85004
RICO Lawyers | Phoenix Office
2720 E Camelback Rd, Suite 210, Phoenix, AZ 85016
RICO Lawyers | Tempe Office | Serving Phoenix, AZ
4500 S Lakeshore Dr, Suite 352, Tempe, AZ 85282
RICO Lawyers | Scottsdale Office | Serving Phoenix, AZ
7322 E. Thomas Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
RICO Lawyers | Phoenix Office
2398 E Camelback Road, Suite 540, Phoenix, AZ 85016
RICO Lawyers | Phoenix Office
6122 N 7th St, Suite D, Phoenix, AZ 85014
RICO Lawyers | Phoenix Office
6121 North 3rd Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85013
RICO Lawyers | Phoenix Office
2375 E Camelback Rd, Suite 410, Phoenix, AZ 85016
RICO Lawyers | Phoenix Office
400 E Van Buren, Ste 550, Phoenix, AZ 85004
RICO Lawyers | Tempe Office | Serving Phoenix, AZ
80 E Rio Salado Pkwy, Suite 305, Tempe, AZ 85281
RICO Lawyers | Scottsdale Office | Serving Phoenix, AZ
16435 North Scottsdale Road, Suite 440, Scottsdale, AZ 85254-1754
RICO Lawyers | Phoenix Office
2 North Central Avenue, Suite 2100, Phoenix, AZ 85004
RICO Lawyers | Scottsdale Office | Serving Phoenix, AZ
8601 North Scottsdale Road, Suite 300, Scottsdale, AZ 85253
RICO Lawyers | Phoenix Office
2800 North Central Avenue, Suite 1900, Phoenix, AZ 85004
RICO Lawyers | Phoenix Office
1221 E Osborn Rd, Suite A-200, Phoenix, AZ 85014
RICO Lawyers | Phoenix Office
7310 North 16th Street, Suite 330, Phoenix, AZ 85020
Lead Counsel independently verifies RICO attorneys in Phoenix and checks their standing with Arizona bar associations.
Our Verification Process and CriteriaThe Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act was enacted in 1970 to address organized crime. Under RICO laws, anyone associated with the criminal group could be charged, including organization leaders who ordered or oversaw the criminal activity without directly taking part. RICO also provided for civil remedies and triple damages to recover unlawful gains.
A RICO charge generally involves participation in a “criminal enterprise” with a “pattern of racketeering activity.” To get a RICO charge, the prosecutor must suspect you were involved in a criminal gang or group and the criminal activity involved more than a one-time event. Initially, RICO was used to go after organized crime and the Mafia. However, since the law went into effect, it has been used to indict a number of alleged criminal enterprises, including street gangs, motorcycle gangs, corporations, and police departments
The RICO Act also makes it a violation to conspire to commit racketeering offenses. Conspiracy to violate RICO charges means that someone can be charged and convicted even if the crime was never carried out. A conspiracy is an agreement between two or more people to commit a crime, with some overt act towards furthering the offense.
A “pattern of racketeering activity” requires at least two qualifying acts, within a period of ten years. The RICO Act has included several crimes that qualify as racketeering activity, including state and federal offenses. Acts of racketeering can include:
A RICO charge is a serious criminal offense that carries the possibility of jail time, fines, and seizure of assets. RICO charges are federal felony charges that include imprisonment for up to 20 years or more. In addition to prison penalties, there are severe financial penalties, which include forfeiture of any interest, security, or property derived from racketeering activity.
There are also civil penalties under RICO. A violation of the RICO Act could include ordering the defendant to turn over financial or business interests, restrict future activities, and break up organizations. Civil remedies can also require restitution to any victims of the criminal offenses.
When federal prosecutors charge someone with RICO offenses, the penalties can include years in federal prison and loss of your financial assets. However, you may have a strong legal case to beat RICO charges. Legal defenses may include challenging the prosecutor’s case to show there was no criminal enterprise and no pattern of criminal activity.
Even if you were involved in criminal activity, it has to be a pattern of racketeering. If there is only evidence of one crime, the defendant should not be convicted under RICO. Alternatively, committing a crime on your own without participation in a criminal organization may be another defense strategy.
Prosecutors may rely on the seriousness of RICO charges to get the defendant to plead guilty to other charges instead of facing the increased RICO penalties. However, before you plead guilty to criminal charges, you should consider talking to a criminal defense attorney for legal advice.
Specialized legal help is available for most legal issues. Each case is unique; seeking legal help is a smart first step toward understanding your legal situation and seeking the best path toward resolution for your case. An experienced lawyer understands the local laws surrounding your case and what your best legal options might be. More importantly, there are certain situations and circumstances – such as being charged with a crime – where you should always seek experienced legal help.
An experienced lawyer should be able to communicate a basic “road map” on how to proceed. The lawyer should be able to walk you through the anticipated process, key considerations, and potential pitfalls to avoid. Once you’ve laid out the facts of your situation to the lawyer, he/she should be able to frame expectations and likely scenarios to help you understand your legal issue.
The more experienced a lawyer is in legal practice, the more likely he/she will be able to bring about a successful resolution to your issue. Since experience matters, lawyers who’ve been practicing law for many years (with a successful track record) tend to be in high demand. You should look for information about a lawyer’s experience and ask questions during the initial meeting. It’s a very good idea to ask the lawyer how many years he/she has been practicing law and the expected outcome of your case.
Plaintiff – a person or party who brings a lawsuit against another person(s) or party/parties in a court of law. Private persons or parties can only file suit in civil court.
Judgment – A decision of the court. Also known as a decree or order. Judgments handed down by the court are usually binding on the parties before the court.