A federal racketeering conspiracy charge is very serious. But, even though this is true, with proper legal help in Chicago, you can protect your innocence and obtain the best possible legal outcome.
What Is Racketeering?
Racketeering is a series of illegal activities that are meant to serve one purpose: earning a profit.
Some of the illegal activities that comprise racketeering are as follows:
- Assault
- Bribery
- Extortion
- Fraud
- Threats
Every single one of the above, if used to earn a profit, can be considered racketeering.
What Is A Conspiracy?
A conspiracy is an agreement between two people – or more, for that matter – to commit an illegal act.
Right before a conspiracy can be considered a conspiracy, though, at least one of those people must act in a manner that furthers their agreement.
Just as an example, if two people agree to extort a person they know and then set up a bank account to hold the money they intend to obtain, that would be considered an overt act.
If an overt act is taken, then the people involved can be charged with a conspiracy.
A federal conspiracy is very similar. But there is one major difference: a federal conspiracy is when two or more people conspire to commit an offense against an entity or individual to defraud the country.
What Is A Federal Racketeering Conspiracy?
A federal racketeering conspiracy is when two or more people agree to conduct racketeering activity that either serves as an offense against the United States or to defraud the United States.
Just as an example, if two people agree to extort money from people through the threat of assault, then those two people can be charged with a standard racketeering conspiracy that is specific to their state.
If, however, those two people agree to extort money from the federal government – or even to bribe the people working at those federal institutions – then they can be charged with a federal racketeering conspiracy.
A federal racketeering conspiracy is more than just extortion, bribes, and fraud; it is a wide variety of other activities, some far less explicit than others – a conspiracy to embezzle money, for example, can be considered federal racketeering – that, in the end, almost always comes with significant criminal charges.
What Will Happen If You Are Charged With A Federal Racketeering Conspiracy?
If you are found guilty of federal racketeering, you can be fined up to $25,000 or more and given a prison sentence of up to twenty years for every charge of federal racketeering you are convicted of. But that is not all. In some instances, under 18 USC sec 241, you may be sentenced to life in prison or death.
On the other hand, if you are found guilty of a federal racketeering conspiracy – but not the federal racketeering itself – you can be given a sentence of no more than five years for that specific federal conspiracy.
Even though the above is true, many racketeering defendants are convicted of other racketeering-related crimes that go along with that conspiracy charge.
You are not a criminal. But, if you want to protect your innocence, you are going to need an attorney who can defend you from the charges you are being faced with.
Get Qualified Legal Help
If you need representation for a federal conspiracy charge, Glasgow & Olsson is uniquely qualified to help.
When you need an attorney, experience matters.
Speak with a Chicago federal criminal defense attorney at Glasgow & Olsson to learn how our experience can get you the results you deserve.