Top Crownpoint, NM RICO Lawyers Near You
140 Broadway, 46th Floor, New York, NY 10005-1107
100 East 14th St, Wilmington, DE 19801
870 Market Street, Suite 820, San Francisco, CA 94102
199 Main St, PO Box 190, Burlington, VT 05402
300 Weyman Plaza Suite 320, Pittsburgh, PA 15236
240 E 6th Ave, Tallahassee, FL 32303
32455 W 12 Mile Rd, Suite 3039, Farmington, MI 48334
7000 N Mopac Expressway, Suite 200, Austin, TX 78731
76 St. Paul Street, 7th Floor, Burlington, VT 05401
4 Orinda Way, Suite 200-D, Orinda, CA 94563
1875 Century Park East, 23rd Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90067
207 6th St N, Suite 4, Clanton, AL 35045
325 North St. Paul Street, Suite 2030, Dallas, TX 75201
155 Federal St, Suite 1300, Boston, MA 02110
140 Grand St, Suite 705, White Plains, NY 10601
207 Church Street, PO Box 2705, Mobile, AL 36652-2705
PO Box 2261, Birmingham, AL 35201
6440 N Central Expressway, Turley Law Center, Suite 203, Dallas, TX 75206
2 North Central Avenue, Suite 2100, Phoenix, AZ 85004
52 West Whittier Street, Columbus, OH 43206
777 E Harrison St, Brownsville, TX 78520
473 E. Carnegie Drive, Suite 200, San Bernardino, CA 92408
111 2nd Ave NE, #515, St. Petersburg, FL 33701
355 Providence Hwy, Westwood, MA 02090
150 Public Square, Lebanon, TN 37087
Crownpoint RICO Information
Lead Counsel Verified Attorneys in Crownpoint
Lead Counsel independently verifies RICO attorneys in Crownpoint and checks their standing with New Mexico 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.