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555 South Flower Street, Suite 2700, Los Angeles, CA 90071
1999 Avenue of teh Stars, Los Angeles, CA 90067
2029 Century Park East, Los Angeles, CA 90067
2000 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 200N, Los Angeles, CA 90067
1999 Avenue of the Stars, 29th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90067
2029 Century Park East, Suite 1800, Los Angeles, CA 90067
535 Anton Boulevard, Ninth Floor, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
10250 Constellation Blvd, Suite 1400, Los Angeles, CA 90067
1925 Century Park East, Suite 1900, Los Angeles, CA 90067
660 Newport Center Drive, Suite 1600, Newport Beach, CA 92660
333 South Grand Avenue, 38th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90071
12100 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 410, Los Angeles, CA 90025
350 South Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90071
714 West Olympic Blvd, Suite 938, Los Angeles, CA 90015
801 S Figueroa St, Suite 2000, Los Angeles, CA 90017
520 Newport Center Dr, Suite 420, Newport Beach, CA 92660
6737 Bright Ave, Suite B6, Whittier, CA 90601
23 Corporate Plaza Dr, Suite 150, Newport Beach, CA 92660
15233 Ventura Blvd., Suite 1200, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
1440 N. Harbor Blvd, Suite 260, Fullerton, CA 92835
4675 MacArthur Court, Suite 700, Newport Beach, CA 92660
1310 City Lights Drive, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656
PO Box 49899, Los Angeles, CA 90049
11766 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 750, Los Angeles, CA 90025
2049 Century Park E, Suite 3500, Los Angeles, CA 90067
Newport Coast 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.