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445 S Figueroa St, Suite 3100, Los Angeles, CA 90071
633 West Fifth Street, 28th Floors, Los Angeles, CA 90071
777 S. Figueroa St., Suite 3800, Los Angeles, CA 90017
19800 MacArthur Boulevard, Suite 855, Irvine, CA 92612-8444
12011 San Vicente Blvd, Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA 90049
1800 Vine Street, Los Angeles, CA 90028
600 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 500, Los Angeles, CA 90017
2029 Century Park East, Suite 3500, Los Angeles, CA 90067
2049 Century Park E, Suite 1700, Los Angeles, CA 90067
10250 Constellation Blvd., Suite 1100, Los Angeles, CA 90067
5015 Birch Street, Suite 107, Newport Beach, CA 92660
644 South Figueroa Street, Engine Co 28, Los Angeles, CA 90017
12424 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA 90025
418 East La Habra Boulevard, La Habra, CA 90631
1888 Century Park East, Suite 1700, Los Angeles, CA 90067
5870 W Jefferson Blvd, Suite H, Los Angeles, CA 90016
2000 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 1200N, Los Angeles, CA 90067
1801 Century Park E, Suite 450, Los Angeles, CA 90067
1800 Avenue Of The Stars, Suite 900, Los Angeles, CA 90067
515 South Figueroa Street, Suite 1975, Los Angeles, CA 90071
1250 Sixth St, Santa Monica, CA 90401
975 East Green Street, Pasadena, CA 91106
29995 Technology Drive, Suite 204, Murrieta, CA 92563
801 S Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90017
23 Corporate Plaza, Suite 150, Newport Beach, CA 92660
Universal City 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.