Under 18 U.S.C. 371, federal prosecutors frequently file conspiracy charges that encompass a variety of alleged criminal behavior. Conspiracy accusations are notoriously tough to fight, so a federal criminal attorney must carefully examine the evidence presented by the prosecution before formulating a plan of attack. Keep reading to learn more or simply contact Chambers Law Firm at 714-760-4088 to request a free legal consultation.
The basics of conspiracy charges
“Conspiracy” to commit a federal crime occurs when a specific federal offense is agreed upon by two or more people, and at least one of those people takes some overt action to facilitate the conspiracy. In the federal criminal justice system, “conspiracy” has long been a broad and unclear phrase.
For instance, the prosecution need only demonstrate that the participants were collaborating to commit a federal crime to establish a conspiracy rather than that there was a written agreement between two or more of them. The 18 U.S.C. 371 federal conspiracy statute makes both schemes to defraud the United States and conspiracies to break other federal statutes illegal.
Conspiracy is an agreement crime
Conspiracy is an agreement crime, which makes it reasonably simple to comprehend as was previously mentioned. The agreement to seek an objective that the law deems wrong or repugnant enough to make the agreement itself illegal, regardless of whether the conspiracy succeeds in achieving its objective, is the wrong that criminal conspiracy statutes condemn.
People often misunderstand conspiracy crimes because the word “conspiracy” itself doesn’t adequately describe what is wrong. To understand why conspiring to achieve a certain goal is wrong, one must first understand what the conspiracy’s goal is.
An obvert act must be committed for the charge to be valid
Notably, the “overt act” requirement, as it is known in the law, is a condition that many conspiracy legislation impose on at least one of the two or more co-conspirators. Agreement alone is not sufficient in relation to those statutes that call for a furthering act.
A person must also take action in order to achieve the goal, whether that action be purchasing the required weapons, planning the crime, or taking other similar actions. However, once one conspirator commits the necessary act, the entire group is found guilty of the conspiracy offense.
What to do if you are accused of or charged with federal conspiracy
Your next step is simple: contact Chambers Law Firm at 714-760-4088 to request a free legal consultation. We are standing by to ensure you get the best possible defense available to you. Call us today and let us help you through this difficult time.
