Top Running Springs, CA RICO Lawyers Near You
5770 Mexico Rd, Suite A, St. Peters, MO 63376
1999 Harrison Street, Suite 2010, Oakland, CA 94612
551 Fifth Avenue, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10176
901 K Street NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20001
150 South Wacker Dr, Suite 350, Chicago, IL 60606
127 Lubrano Dr, Suite 300, Annapolis, MD 21401
1350 Colubmbia, Unit 401, San Diego, CA 92101
6101 West Centinela Ave, Suite 270, Culver City, CA 90230
600 Old Country Road Suite 328, Garden City, NY 11530
One Turks Head Place, Suite 610, Providence, RI 02903
28 State Street, Suite 2302, Boston, MA 02109
1050 K Street NW, Suite 1040, Washington, DC 20001
811 Louisiana St, Suite 1010, Houston, TX 77002
1100 Glendon Avenue, 14th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90024
375 Northridge Rd, Suite 200, Atlanta, GA 30350
3 Embarcadero Center, 25th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94111
10 South Broadway, Suite 2000, St. Louis, MO 63102
1 Financial Plaza, Suite 2800, Providence, RI 02903
677 W Palmdon Dr, Ste 201, Fresno, CA 93704
1114 Avenue of the Americas, The Grace Building, New York, NY 10036
33 Wood Lane, Rockville, MD 20850
30833 Northwestern Hwy, Suite 120, Farmington, MI 48334
531 Main St, Suite 205, El Segundo, CA 90245
53 W Jackson Blvd, Suite 1315, Chicago, IL 60604
PO Box 2487, Laredo, TX 78042
Running Springs RICO Information
Lead Counsel independently verifies RICO attorneys in Running Springs and checks their standing with California bar associations.
Our Verification Process and Criteria
Ample Experience
Attorneys must meet stringent qualifications and prove they practice in the area of law they’re verified in.Good Standing
Be in good standing with their bar associations and maintain a clean disciplinary record.Annual Review
Submit to an annual review to retain their Lead Counsel Verified status.Client Commitment
Pledge to follow the highest quality client service and ethical standards.
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.