Top Costa Mesa, CA RICO Lawyers Near You
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3460 Ocean View Blvd, Suite F, Glendale, CA 91208
120 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach, CA 92660
695 Town Center Drive, 17th Floor, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
3200 Park Center Dr, Suite 250, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
626 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 460, Los Angeles, CA 90017
1 MacArthur Place, Suite 200, Santa Ana, CA 92707
555 South Flower Street, 31st Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90071
14401 Sylvan Street, Suite 100, Van Nuys, CA 91401
1801 Century Park East, 24th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90067
9401 Wilshire Blvd, 12th Floor, Beverly Hills, CA 90212
6464 West Sunset Blvd., Suite 1030, Los Angeles, CA 90028
3 Park Plaza, Suite 1100, Irvine, CA 92614
2029 Century Park East, Suite 400N, Los Angeles, CA 90067
25909 Pala, Suite 300, Mission Viejo, CA 92691
555 Flower St, Suite 3700, Los Angeles, CA 90071
355 South Grand Ave, Suite 2450, Los Angeles, CA 90071
9350 Wilshire Blvd, No. 203, Beverly Hills, CA 90212
600 Anton Boulevard, Suite 900, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
633 West Fifth Street, Suite 1600, Los Angeles, CA 90071
2600 Michelson Dr, Suite 900, Irvine, CA 92612
3 Hutton Centre Drive, 9th Floor, Santa Ana, CA 92707
500 South Hope Street, Suite 650, Los Angeles, CA 90071
601 South Figueroa Street, Suite 3300, Los Angeles, CA 90017
PO Box 49899, Los Angeles, CA 90049
225 South Lake Ave, Suite 300, Pasadena, CA 91101
Costa Mesa RICO Information
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What Is a RICO Violation?
The 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.
How Do I Get a RICO Charge?
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.
What Does the RICO Act Cover?
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:
- Illegal gambling
- Murder
- Kidnapping
- Extortion
- Arson
- Robbery
- Bribery
- Dealing in obscene matter
- Drug offenses
- Counterfeiting
- Theft
- Embezzlement
- Fraud
- Witness tampering
- Human trafficking
- Money laundering
- Murder-for-hire
- Loan-sharking
- Terrorism
- Mail fraud
- Wire fraud
- Securities fraud
How Serious Is a RICO Charge?
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.
How Do You Beat a RICO Case?
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.