Legal Definitions - confederate

Confederate

In legal terms, a confederate refers to an individual who works alongside others, often in a covert or secretive manner, to achieve a shared objective. While the term can broadly mean an ally, it is most commonly used to describe someone who acts as a coconspirator or accomplice in a plan, particularly one that is illegal or unethical. A confederate is aware of the common goal and contributes to its advancement.

• Example 1: Imagine a scenario where two individuals plan to commit a burglary. One person acts as the lookout, while the other enters the building. The lookout, by actively participating in the scheme and helping to ensure its success, is considered a confederate to the person committing the actual entry.
• Example 2: Consider a group of individuals involved in an elaborate financial fraud. One person creates false documents, another uses those documents to deceive victims, and a third launders the illicit funds. Each of these individuals, by knowingly contributing to the overall fraudulent scheme, acts as a confederate to the others involved.
• Example 3: In a case of corporate espionage, an employee secretly downloads proprietary company data, and then passes it to a colleague who is responsible for transmitting it to a rival company. The colleague who receives and transmits the data, knowing its illicit origin and purpose, is a confederate in the scheme to steal trade secrets.