Chapter 3 CrimeFighters' FloppyBook The following chapters have over 400 hard-to-find books and videos that contain unusual but useful information for those who decide to fight the War on Crime. (There's a few books on other subjects too!) If you've read "CrimeFighters" electronic book, and know all about generous federal rewards and incentives, press F9 now for next chapter. If you haven't read it, here's some information on what "Crimefighters" is all about, and how to get a copy. * * * * * * CRIMEFIGHTERS - The New Breed of Bounty Hunters, by William B. McGhee. The guts of this unusual book is based on federal rewards currently available. One such law (Title 18, 3059) pays up to $25,000 for information leading to the ARREST of "any felon in any state". Another DEA reward law (Title 18, 886) pays up to $25,000 as a bonus reward if it's drug-related! These two alone can make you rich when you join in the fight on the war against drugs. (Do you know any drug dealers in your area?) In addition, RICO laws (Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organizations) may be applied if the felony was committed for profit, which the majority are. RICO is a very important CrimeFighter law because it provides for up to 50% of any fines and forfeitures collected to be paid to CrimeFighters. The 50% is in addition to specific rewards based on 3059, 886 or based on many other laws. As you know, there's a federal law for each felony violation - and a reward to match. This book covers them all! Choose your field of law enforcement, go after the perp's, and get paid huge rewards! RICO law also provides for both civil and criminal suits - either one or both can be used to lay charges and prosecute. Civil suits are "remedial" whereas criminal suits are "punitive". Thus a civil suit and a criminal suit doesn't involve "double jeopardy". If you lose one, you can still try the other - or both! RICO has provisions to levy appropriate fines and forfeitures on everything a lawbreaker owns - if they are suspected of being the "fruits of criminal activity" - and the burden of proof is on the defendant! Any business that launders dirty money may also be forfeited! If there's big money involved, that's almost a certainty. Laundering dirty money via a legitimate business is the only practical way to legally receive a reportable income. The crook's valuable possessions may have been purchased from a lifetime of criminal activity, but if you nail him on a felony charge, you can go after everything he owns that he can't prove to the court's satisfaction was purchased with "honest" money - and you get half! Civil vs criminal suits: In civil suits, the evidence need only be a preponderence of evidence (the best argument) not proof beyond a reasonable doubt as in a criminal suit. In civil suits, only two-thirds of the jury need to vote "guilty", as opposed to a unanimous verdict from all jurors in a criminal suit. In criminal suits, maximum fines are set by law according to the violation. In civil suits, there is no limit: it can be whatever seems to match the violation - which may be in the MILLIONS of dollars! Civil suits are the easiest to win and should be tried first - when the lawbreaker is a corporation or has considerable assets to pay large fines, or has assets used in the violation which can be forfeited (airplane, boats, vehicles, cash and jewelry, bank accounts, businesses, etc.). To avoid a state prosecutor's plea bargaining doing you out of a suitable reward, you can elect to be the prosecutor! Qui Tam law is explained in a separate chapter. It tells you how tipsters (CrimeFighters) are entitled by law to assume the role of state or federal prosecutor -- to protect their financial interests. Thus, you can become the D.A. for your own cases! You don't have to be a lawyer. Plea bargaining is simply haggling between the prosecutor and the lawbreaker's lawyer to reach a compromise, usually over a cup of coffee. Ninety percent of cases are settled by plea bargain- ing and won't go to trial. For the first one or two, you can hire a lawyer to teach you plea bargaining and court sentencing procedure. When you know simple sentencing procedure, you can handle cases yourself. Then you can use plea bargaining to your advantage - to maximize fines and forfeitures! Lawbreakers will, if they can, "buy" their way out of jail to avoid a criminal record if they don't already have one. If the lawbreaker is a corporation or someone with lots of money, the CrimeFighter (as the D.A.) can (when legally possible) downgrade the charge to a misdemeanor and minimize criminal charges if the lawbreaker agrees to pay large fines and/or forfeitures in a related civil suit. If lawbreakers have few assets or there is no agreement, a criminal suit can be used as the alternative to punish the perp by recommending maximum punishment, giving them a criminal record, and perhaps jail time so you can collect federal (felony) rewards. You have a choice - they don't! In any other situation it would be called blackmail. But, plea bargaining (deals) are made all the time. It's legal! When plea bargaining is used in criminal suits and an agreement is reached it won't go to trial. You get a fast and easy "conviction" and collect your reward(s), plus fines and forfeitures if any. If no agreement is reached for a guilty plea, you turn the case over to a federal prosecutor and let them handle it. If they get a conviction, you still get your negotiated rewards - and a share of fines of forfeitures, if any. When the evidence is iron-clad, it may be advantageous to use both a civil suits for large fines and forfeitures, and a criminal suit for additional fines and forfeitures (if you missed any on the first round) plus federal rewards that require a conviction on felony charges. A chapter explains how anyone can make a citizens arrest, and all the things you need to know to make it stick. But, all rewards are paid for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction. You don't have to personally make the arrest. But, it may help to know what to do when there's no cops handy and you'll lose the reward if they get away. If you have the balls to be a soldier, cop, security guard or mercenary, you've got what it takes to be a CrimeFighter! The CrimeFighter book tells you how to collect huge rewards. This Catalog tells you where to get the kind of training you need for your selected crime fighting specialty. CrimeFighters work only with federal agents (mainly the FBI) and not with local police. When you have information that provides probable cause for a search/arrest warrant, contact the FBI. Federal rewards are based on federal laws, and almost all rewards are negotiable! Only federal agents can negotiate and be legally bound to pay federal rewards. The size of the reward depend on what you do, any personal risks taken, as well as the size and value of the bust. (The book provides guidelines for negotiating.) CrimeFighters are "information providers", undercover citizen CrimeFighters without a badge or FBI authority. You can be a high-profile crime fighter like Elliot Ness, or stay undercover and be known only to the feds you work with. You don't need their permission or a license to be a CrimeFighter. It's a brand new, free-lance occupation. Anyone can be a CrimeFighter! CRIME STOPPERS is one of the many privately-funded organization that pays small, privately-funded rewards. Their reward formula is detailed in a separate chapter for comparison against federal rewards. You could say that Crime Stoppers' small rewards are designed for the amateurs, whereas the more generous Federal rewards are for the pro's. The first edition of this book (CRIMFTR1) is available free from computer BBSs, and may be available from disk dealers for a maximum of $6. CRIMFTR2, the updated version from feedback, will be available for $20 in a professionally printed and bound book, from C.F.I., around January 1994. F9 for Next Chapter