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12130 Millennium Dr, Suite 300, Playa Vista, CA 90094
1925 Century Park East, Suite 1900, Los Angeles, CA 90067
626 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 510, Los Angeles, CA 90017
333 South Grand Avenue, 38th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90071
2029 Century Park E, Suite 1200, Los Angeles, CA 90067
555 West 5th Street, 48th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90013
515 Flower St, Suite 3500, Los Angeles, CA 90071
233 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 700, Santa Monica, CA 90401
350 S Grand Ave, Suite 3550, Los Angeles, CA 90071
15233 Ventura Blvd., Suite 1200, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
545 S Figueroa St., 7th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90071
4640 Lankershim Blvd., Suite 512, North Hollywood, CA 91602
10880 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 1101, Los Angeles, CA 90024
269 S Beverly Dr, Suite 322, Beverly Hills, CA 90212
9233 W. Pico Blvd., Suite 218, Los Angeles, CA 90035
10940 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1600, Los Angeles, CA 90024
725 South Figueroa Street, Ste 3800, Los Angeles, CA 90017
555 South Flower Street, 30th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90071
4181 Sunswept Drive, Studio City, CA 91604
100 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 1300, Santa Monica, CA 90401
1428 2nd Street, Suite 200, Santa Monica, CA 90401
1000 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 1750, Los Angeles, CA 90017
221 E. Walnut Street, Suite 227, Pasadena, CA 91101
633 W 5th St, Suite 5710, Los Angeles, CA 90071
333 S. Hope St., 40th FL, Los Angeles, CA 90071
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.