Attorney Hope Lefeber has over 30 years of experience dealing with government investigations, criminal accusations, RICO laws and more. Her aggressive white collar defense techniques have been successful in defending clients in all kinds of white collar trials and appeals.
As a former enforcement attorney for the United States Securities & Exchange Commission, Hope Lefeber uses her experience to provide effective representation for people accused of various types of federal white collar crimes, including RICO/Racketeering. This experience enables her to anticipate how the government will structure its case and prepare the best defense accordingly.
RICO/Racketeering Penalties
RICO violations can lead to stiff penalties if you are convicted. RICO penalties include fines in the tens of thousands of dollars as well as potentially 20 years in prison. In addition to these penalties, the person convicted of racketeering must forfeit all the allegedly “ill-gotten gains” as well as any interest from any business gained through a pattern of “racketeering activity.” If convicted, RICO laws also permit a private individual harmed by your actions in such an enterprise to file a civil suit and the collectable damages are not capped (meaning the settlement amount could be quite high).
RICO Offenses
RICO/Racketeering laws cover both legal and illegal businesses, meaning that drug trafficking violators can be prosecuted under RICO statutes, as well as legitimate business people. Under the law, racketeering activity means:
- Any violation of state statutes against gambling, murder, kidnapping, arson, robbery, bribery, extortion, dealing in obscene matter, or dealing in a controlled substance or listed chemical (as defined in the Controlled Substances Act);
- Any act of Bribery, Counterfeiting, theft, Embezzlement, fraud, dealing in obscene matter, obstruction of justice, slavery, racketeering, gambling, Money Laundering, commission of murder-for-hire, and several other offenses covered under the Federal criminal code (Title 18);
- Embezzlement of union funds;
- Bankruptcy Fraud or Securities Fraud;
- Drug Trafficking; and
- Money Laundering and related offenses.
RICO Laws and Offenses
The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, commonly known as the RICO Act, is a United States Federal Law pertaining to criminal acts performed as part of an ongoing criminal organization. Under the RICO Act, a member of an enterprise that has committed any two out of thirty-five crimes, (27 federal crimes and 8 State crimes), within a ten year period can be charged with racketeering.
Contact Hope C. Lefeber
If you are facing federal charges, having a lawyer who is highly skilled in federal law can be critical to your defense. To get representation from a highly skilled defense attorney, contact the Philadelphia Law Offices of Hope Lefeber by calling 610-668-7927. Consultations are free and confidential.
