A criminal conspiracy is an agreement between 2 or more people to do something unlawful. It is governed by Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 274 Section 7. The crime of conspiracy is the actual agreement itself.  In order for an individual to be convicted, the Commonwealth must prove that:

• The individual joined the conspiracy with knowledge of the unlawful plan
• The individual joined the conspiracy with the intent to help carry it out
  

However, the Commonwealth does not have to prove that the plan was successful nor does it have to prove that any steps were actually taken in furtherance of carrying out the plan.  

Punishment

The punishment for conspiracy depends on what crime the individuals conspired to commit:

• If the punishment for the underlying crime is 20 years to life in prison, the maximum punishment for conspiracy to commit that crime is 20 years
• If the punishment for the underlying crime is 10 years to life in prison, the maximum punishment for conspiracy to commit that crime is 10 years
• If the underlying crime is a felony punishable by less than 10 years in prison, the maximum punishment for conspiracy to commit that crime is 5 years
  

For all other crimes, the maximum punishment for conspiracy to commit that crime is 2.5 years.  

If you have been charged with a criminal conspiracy, call our experienced criminal lawyers for a free case consultation. Our Boston criminal defense lawyers have been successfully representing individuals for over four decades. We are available around the clock, seven days a week. Give us a call so we can start explaining your rights and potential defenses to you.