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2001 K St NW, Washington, DC 20006
2001 K St NW, Suite 425 North, Washington, DC 20006
1111 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004
1800 K St NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20006
1050 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20036
888 16th Street NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20006
1717 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 650, Washington, DC 20006
1101 17th St NW, Suite 705, Washington, DC 20036
799 9th Street NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20001
1701 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20006
555 13th St NW, Suite 500 West, Washington, DC 20004
1875 K Street Northwest, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20006
1455 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20004
300 New Jersey Ave NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20001
5614 Connecticut Ave NW, Suite 107, Washington, DC 20015
1909 K Street NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20006
1000 Maine Avenue SW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20024
1401 Eye Street, NW, Suite 800, Washington, DC 20005
1200 19th St NW, 3rd Floor, Washington, DC 20036
1233 Twentieth Street NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20036
1100 H St NW, Unit 830, Washington, DC 20005
2100 L Street NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20037
1200 New Hampshire Ave NW, 8th Floor, Washington, DC 20036
2001 M Street, NW, 10th Floor, Washington, DC 20036
440 First Street NW, Suite 450, Washington, DC 20001
Washington Navy Yard 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.