Top Crownpoint, NM RICO Lawyers Near You
16 Madison Square West, New York, NY 10010
4101 Charlotte Ave, Suite F186, Nashville, TN 37209
11 State St, Charleston, SC 29401
605 Ellis Street, Suite 200, Mountain View, CA 94043
601 South Figueroa Street, Suite 3300, Los Angeles, CA 90017
2049 Century Park E, Suite 3500, Los Angeles, CA 90067
530 Fifth Avenue, Suite 804, New York, NY 10036
1222 S Filmore, Amarillo, TX 79101
112 Market Street, 8th Floor, Harrisburg, PA 17101
5262 S. Staples , Suite 100, Corpus Christi, TX 78411
1900 Hines Street, SE, Suite 110, Salem, OR 97302
1001 North Central Ave, Suite 404, Phoenix, AZ 85004
3010 E. Battlefield, Suite A, Springfield, MO 65804
Suite 2540, Tower Place, 3340 Peachtree Road, NE, Atlanta, GA 30326
601 South Figueroa Street, Suite 1950, Los Angeles, CA 90017
419 Vardry St, Greenville, SC 29601
508 Franklin Ave, Waco, TX 76701
1845 Walnut Street, 19th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19103
245 Fifth Street, Suite 103, San Francisco, CA 94103
2909 Hillcroft, Suite 560, Houston, TX 77057
10 South Broadway, Suite 2000, St. Louis, MO 63102
2300 Tulare Street, Suite 215, Fresno, CA 93721
201 East Washington Street, Suite 1200, Phoenix, AZ 85004
923 E Main St, Bridgeport, CT 06608
PO Box 1758, Kalispell, MT 59903
Crownpoint 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.