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Conspiracy
An agreement by two or more people to commit a crime. It has its roots in 14th-century English common law. It was first broadly applied in the United States in the 1800s. Today, it forms the basis for a variety of prosecutions dealing with a wide range of issues. They include drug violations, murder for hire, bank robbery, and extortion. Indeed, it is one of the most commonly charged crimes. Consider, for example, that in the United States, more than one quarter of all federal criminal prosecutions and a significant number of state cases involve prosecutions for conspiracy.
In general, the offense of criminal conspiracy consists of the following elements: an agreement between parties to execute an illegal activity, the defendant's intent to enter into the ...