An organized crime boss from Israel pleaded guilty in federal court in Los Angeles to narcotics and racketeering charges, according to the United States attorney's office in Los Angeles.
Itzhak Abergil, 43, was arrested in 2008 in a 77-page federal grand jury indictment that accused him and others of being involved in a federal drug crime conspiracy to import the drug Ecstasy into the United States and commit extortion and murder.
Federal agents seized around 100,000 Ecstasy pills worth about $2 million at locations in the Midwest. The drugs were heading for Los Angeles.
According to the U.S. attorney's office, the defendant was the head of a crime organization that conducted criminal activities in Israel and around the world. Members of the drug crime organization killed a man in Sherman Oaks in 2003 after he interfered with a drug deal. He is scheduled to be sentenced May 21, 2012 at the federal courthouse in Los Angeles.
Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) crimes are prosecuted at in federal court. The act was passed in 1970 and was designed to prevent illegal business dealings and organized crime. It allows federal prosecutors to put different crimes together into one charge. These federal investigations are very lengthy and thorough and any individual who is under investigation should be prepared.
RICO investigations are very invasive and will disrupt your business and personal life. They will investigate your financial records, business files, on-line activity, accounting reports, and even question witnesses.
Federal racketeering charges can be very vague. Therefore, it is critical to have a federal criminal defense attorney with experience and knowledge defending your case, and to ensure that you are protected and your rights are not being violated.
Federal prosecutors are aggressive in their attempts to convict, and you need a firm on your side to defend you just as aggressively throughout the criminal proceedings. Many different crimes are covered under the RICO act. Other white collar crimes are included, such as
identity theft,
organized fraud, embezzlement and drug crimes.
At the law offices of Cron, Israels & Stark, our we have been defending clients against federal crimes for decades. Our legal team can offer you a free case evaluation that will enable us to get familiar with your case, and move forward with the necessary legal steps to protect you against these serious charges. Contact us today at 888-895-3607. We are available 24/7.