Recycling Company Accused of Fraud – Oswalt Law Group

According to recent reports, an Arizona-based recycling firm has been accused of being involved in organized crime and 12 people have been arrested.  Hendrix and Company Recycling is said to have allowed the existence of a stolen car operation known as “Tin Man” in which people would steal cars and bring them to the recycling plant under the guise of disposing of them.  In reality, the cars were stripped and sold. Hendrix and Company Recycling employees and family owners have also been accused of money laundering, narcotics sales and criminal enterprise operation.  The investigation into the scope of the issue continues. What Is A “Criminal Enterprise?” In the past, it was difficult to bring criminal charges for specific crimes against companies or individuals who provided the means or opportunity for others to commit crimes.  In other words, the people who stole cars might be arrested, but the person who owned the “chop shop” might get away if he or she could not be shown to have actively participated in the thefts. In order to balance this inequity in criminal charges, laws were passed that provided for criminal enterprise charges.  Criminal enterprise encompasses not only the criminal acts but also providing an environment that encourages these acts.  Now, people who own buildings where crimes take place or who facilitate the crime in any way may be charged with criminal enterprise. What Is Necessary To Prove Criminal Enterprise? Proving that someone is involved in a criminal enterprise is not simple.  In many cases, it involves testimony from other alleged criminals, making these charges difficult to prove conclusively.  In many cases, people are convicted of criminal enterprise because of the exchange of money or other tangible acts that cause a jury to believe that the accused person was involved in a criminal activity. Criminal enterprise may also be charged against someone who is honestly not guilty of anything but being in the wrong place at the wrong time or being taken advantage of by true criminals.  No matter what the circumstances, a person charged with criminal enterprise is entitled to a vigorous defense of his or her rights.  A criminal defense attorney may be able to help the accused person fight the criminal charges by preparing a defense or by negotiating a plea to lesser charges with the prosecutors or even dropping the charges in exchange for information.