White Collar RICO-Related Crimes

Chicago Illinois RICO Criminal Defense Lawyers

The Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) was passed in order to assist government officials in combating and prosecuting organized crime. If the United States Attorney believes a person or organization has committed certain crimes within a ten year period as part of an ongoing criminal enterprise, a charge of racketeering can be brought against them.

If you are found guilty, you could face 20 years in prison and be fined up to $25,000. Further, any assets the government believes the accused earned as a result of a criminal enterprise must be forfeited upon being convicted. Additionally, when an indictment is handed down in RICO cases, the US Attorney can issue a pre-trial restraining order which allows the government to seize the assets of the accused, making it difficult for those under indictment to pay for their legal defense.

At the law office of Pissetzky & Berliner, we act immediately to protect our clients' rights and prevent prosecutorial over-reach in RICO cases. We consult our own investigators, forensic accountants, and other specialists in challenging the prosecution's case against our client. To schedule a free, confidential consultation, contact RICO criminal defense lawyers at Pissetzky & Berliner today.

RICO Related Charges - White Collar Crime

The law office of Pissetzky & Berliner advises and represents clients indicted under the RICO statute in connection to the following sorts of crime:

• Banking fraud
• Securities fraud
• Embezzlement
• Money laundering
• Bribery
• Accounting fraud
• Defrauding the government
• Medicaid / Medicare fraud

Fighting a RICO Indictment

The government will almost always bring a charge of conspiracy against the accused in a white collar RICO criminal case. As a result, hearsay rules that prevent out of court statements from entering into evidence at trial, don't apply to statements made by co-conspirators. Usually, government prosecutors will arrange plea bargains with other suspects in order to leverage their case, obtain wiretaps, engage in more intrusive surveillance, and target certain people within an organization. As a consequence, statements gathered during this process can be allowed into evidence against you, even if what is alleged is merely hearsay.

The problem, however, is government investigations are seldom executed as cleanly and perfectly as portrayed in Hollywood movies or on television shows. In many cases, people who had little knowledge or involvement in a white collar crime are targeted as "the fall guy" through plea bargains from those hoping to reduce their own prison sentences. Added to this are occasionally questionable actions on the part of government agents, as the case of the prosecution of the El-Rukns demonstrated some years ago. When we can, we expose the baseless nature of hearsay, the compromised testimony of "plea bargained witnesses," and circumstantial evidence the prosecution cannot prove is irresolutely linked to our client.

Putting the Government on the Defensive

In RICO cases involving white collar crime, our attorneys work with investigators to challenge allegations that often result in conflicting testimony on the part of witnesses turned state's evidence. We also uncover evidence that contradicts the state's official story and exculpatory information ignored by the prosecution.

Regardless of whether you're under investigation or facing indictment, it's important to retain legal counsel who can protect your rights and hold investigators in check. To schedule a free, confidential consultation, contact RICO white collar crime defense attorneys at the Law Firm of Pissetzky & Berliner today.