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304 Ross St, STE 600, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
6105 Spirit St., Suite 447, Pittsburgh, PA 15206
3000 Lewis Run Road, Clairton, PA 15025
625 Liberty Avenue, 26th Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Union Trust Building, 501 Grant Street, Suite 800, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
332 Fifth Ave, 1st Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
322 N Shore Dr, #200 Building 1B, Pittsburgh, PA 15212
625 Liberty Ave, Suite 1000, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
525 William Penn Pl, Suite 1710, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
501 Grant Street, Suite 700, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
500 Grant Street, Suite 2500, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
429 Fourth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
436 Seventh Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
112 Washington Place, Suite 1050, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
501 Grant Street, Suite 850, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
1040 5th Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
445 Fort Pitt Blvd, Suite 100, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
The Mitchell Building, 304 Ross Street, Suite 505, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
1575 McFarland Rd, Suite 201, Pittsburgh, PA 15216
436 Seventh Avenue, 300 Koppers Building, Pittsburgh, PA 15219-1827
500 Grant Street, Suite 4900, Pittsburgh, PA 15219-2502
Six PPG Place, 13th Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
625 Liberty Avenue, 5th Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3152
6 PPG Place, Third Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
501 Grant Street, Suite 300, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Valencia 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.