Legal Definitions - feigned accomplice

A feigned accomplice is an individual who pretends to be a willing participant in a criminal act or conspiracy, but whose true intention is to assist law enforcement by gathering evidence or information. This person is not genuinely committed to the crime but is acting under the direction or with the knowledge of authorities. They are a specific type of informant, often used in undercover operations to infiltrate criminal organizations or expose illegal activities.

• Example 1: Undercover Drug Operation
  An undercover police detective, Detective Ramirez, poses as a drug dealer interested in joining a local trafficking ring. He attends meetings, discusses supply routes, and even participates in a staged "delivery" of inert substances, all while secretly recording conversations and relaying intelligence back to his unit. His goal is to gather enough evidence to arrest the ringleaders.

  Explanation: Detective Ramirez acts as a feigned accomplice because he pretends to be an active participant in the drug trafficking operation, taking on a role within the criminal group. However, his actual purpose is to assist law enforcement by collecting evidence, not to commit the crime himself.

• Example 2: Corporate Fraud Investigation
  A former employee, Ms. Davies, discovers her previous company is engaged in a complex accounting fraud scheme. She reports this to federal investigators and agrees to re-engage with her former colleagues, pretending to help them conceal financial discrepancies. She participates in internal discussions about falsifying records and sends emails confirming her "involvement," all while wearing a wire and forwarding incriminating documents to the authorities.

  Explanation: Ms. Davies functions as a feigned accomplice by appearing to join the corporate fraud conspiracy. Her actions, though seemingly cooperative with the criminals, are orchestrated with law enforcement to gather evidence against the company and its executives, rather than to genuinely participate in the fraud.

• Example 3: Organized Crime Infiltration
  An individual with a criminal record, Mr. Chen, is offered a reduced sentence in exchange for cooperating with the FBI. He agrees to infiltrate a local organized crime syndicate, pretending to be a new recruit eager to prove himself. He participates in discussions about illegal gambling operations, helps transport what he believes are illicit goods, and reports back to his FBI handler on the syndicate's structure and plans.

  Explanation: Mr. Chen is a feigned accomplice because he pretends to be a willing and active member of the organized crime syndicate, engaging in their activities and discussions. His true objective, however, is to gather intelligence for the FBI, making him an informant working under the guise of a criminal participant.