Top Lemont, IL RICO Lawyers Near You
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Criminal TAX Defense. We defend individuals who are targets, subjects or witnesses in criminal tax investigations & prosecution.
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222 W Adams St, Suite 2250, Chicago, IL 60606
120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2200, Chicago, IL 60606
100 North Riverside Plaza, Suite 1500, Chicago, IL 60606
155 North Wacker Drive, Suite 3000, Chicago, IL 60606
58 North Chicago St, 7th Floor, Joliet, IL 60432
150 S. Wacker Drive, Suite 3000, Chicago, IL 60606
17926 South Halsted Street, Suite 3SE, Homewood, IL 60430
345 N. Canal St., Suite C-202, Chicago, IL 60606
71 South Wacker Drive, 45th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606
55 West Monroe Street, Suite 3800, Chicago, IL 60603
33 North Dearborn Street, Suite 1830, Chicago, IL 60602
1200 Harger Road, Suite 830, Oak Brook, IL 60523
1655 S Blue Island Ave, Chicago, IL 60608
30 N LaSalle St, Suite 2140, Chicago, IL 60602
17W662 Butterfield Rd, Suite 304, Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181
33 N. Dearborn Street, Suite 1950, Chicago, IL 60602-3249
311 South Wacker Drive, Suite 4300, Chicago, IL 60606
321 North Clark Street, Suite 1000, Chicago, IL 60654
70 West Madison Street, Suite 5200, Chicago, IL 60602
321 N. Clark Street, Suite 1600, Chicago, IL 60654
190 South LaSalle Street, Suite 3700, Chicago, IL 60603
227 W Monroe St, Suite 3950, Chicago, IL 60606
55 West Monroe Street, Suite 1200, Chicago, IL 60603
1425 McHenry Rd, Suite 204, Buffalo Grove, IL 60089
333 W Wolf Point Plaza, Chicago, IL 60654
Lemont RICO Information
Lead Counsel independently verifies RICO attorneys in Lemont and checks their standing with Illinois 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.