If convicted on a RICO charge, what are the penalties?

Explained by RICO attorney Joseph Bodiford

If you are arrested for and then convicted of a RICO charge or white collar crime charge, the penalties can be severe and include fines, and jail time.  If you are even under investigation for a white collar crime, it is already time to talk to a RICO lawyer so that you can start protecting yourself now. The common penalties for white collar crime violations include:

• Fines
• Jail time
• Restitution (returning money or property)
• Forfeiture (giving up money or property)
• Supervised release
• Home detention

You could be under investigation for a white collar crime if you:

• Receive a grand jury subpoena to produce business documents
• Are presented with a search warrant to seize your business records
• Get subpoenaed to testify at a grand jury investigation
• Receive a "target letter" or "subject letter" telling you you're under investigation
• Are contacted by a state or federal investigator who wants to question you

Federal agencies involved in white collar crime investigations include:

• The Federal Bureau of Investigation
• United State Postal Service officers
• United States Treasury authorities
• Internal Revenue Service investigators
• The Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (formerly the Immigration and Naturalization Services)
• The Securities and Exchange Commission

Defending Against A White Collar Crime
Many of the defenses to a white collar crime are the ones that apply to any crime, and can include:
Incapacity (you weren't capable of doing it)
Duress (someone else made you do it)
A common defense in white collar crimes is "entrapment"- a situation where government personnel coerce you into committing a criminal act that you otherwise wouldn't have committed. Your criminal defense or RICO attorney may be able to argue that you would have had no tendency to commit the crime you are charged with without government enticement. A judge will look at the situation through your eyes in deciding whether there has been entrapment in your particular case.
Another common defense in white collar crimes is absence of intent to commit a crime. Your criminal or RICO lawyer may be able to convince prosecutors or a judge that you had no intention of committing a crime and did not know that your actions were criminal.

• Types of Charges