Top Los Angeles, CA RICO Lawyers Near You
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1801 Century Park E Ste 2400, Los Angeles, CA 90067
650 Town Center, Suite 1400, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
500 North Central Ave, Suite 610, Glendale, CA 91203
333 South Hope Street, Suite 2610, Los Angeles, CA 90071
300 South Grand Avenue, Suite 2600, Los Angeles, CA 90071
655 North Central Ave, Suite 2300, Glendale, CA 91203
777 South Figueroa Street, 34th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90017
233 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 700, Santa Monica, CA 90401
100 Spectrum Center Drive, Suite 440, Irvine, CA 92618
232 23rd St, Santa Monica, CA 90402
45841 Oasis St #5, Indio, CA 92201
865 South Figueroa Street, Suite 2800, Los Angeles, CA 90017
21151 S. Western Avenue, Suite 233, Torrance, CA 90501
12800 Center Court Drive, Suite 300, Cerritos, CA 90703
12100 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 410, Los Angeles, CA 90025
10100 Santa Monica Blvd, Suite 1400, Los Angeles, CA 90067
11844 Hartsick St, Valley Village, CA 91607
601 South Figueroa Street, Suite 2500, Los Angeles, CA 90017-5704
18201 Von Karman Avenue, Suite 350, Irvine, CA 92612
10250 Constellation Blvd, Suite 1400, Los Angeles, CA 90067
633 West 5th St, 26th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90071
1901 Avenue of Stars, Suite 615, Los Angeles, CA 90067
1801 Century Park East, Suite 1600, Los Angeles, CA 90067
624 South Grand Avenue, 22 Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90017
825 North Ross Street, Santa Ana, CA 92701
Los Angeles 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.