Aiding and Abetting

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Aiding and abetting (NRS 195.020) does not sound very serious because the charge is for only helping a person who actually commits the crime. However, a charge of aiding and abetting in Las Vegas can have very severe consequences.

Penalties for Aiding and Abetting

Prosecutors can bring both federal and state charges against someone accused of aiding and abetting in Nevada. According to federal law, a charge of aiding and abetting in Las Vegas can be the same as a charge for actually committing the crime, and conviction can result in harsh punishment, based on the crime committed. State law in Nevada classifies aiding and abetting in a crime like kidnapping as either a Category A Felony or a Category B Felony. A Category A Felony conviction provides for a penalty of from five years in prison, including parole, up to life in prison without possibility for parole in a case where the victim incurs severe bodily harm. The consequence of a Category B Felony verdict can be confinement in prison from two to fifteen years.

Meaning of Aiding and Abetting

The term aiding and abetting has nearly the same meaning as do the terms accessory, accessory after the fact, accessory to a crime, accomplice and conspiracy. When someone commits a crime, and one or more other people participate in any way, those others can have charges of aiding and abetting filed against them. If you do not actually commit a crime, you may believe you have no guilt in the matter. However, the law states that anyone who intentionally or knowingly participates in a crime in any manner can conceivably be guilty of aiding and abetting the offense. A person who commits a crime and a person who only helps in some way can both receive exactly the same charges and penalties.

Aiding and Abetting Examples

If you drive a vehicle in which someone escapes from the scene of a crime, or if you help establish an alibi for someone who commits a criminal offense, you could have charges of aiding and abetting filed against you. Also considered aiding and abetting are knowingly furnishing information used for committing a crime and serving as a lookout for someone committing a crime. Helping with kidnapping is obviously aiding and abetting, but many people are unaware that mail fraud, bank fraud and wire fraud are aiding and abetting a crime as well.

Criminal Defense for Aiding and Abetting

Every citizen has a right to a fair hearing in a court of law, and with charges as serious as aiding or abetting, it is important to have competent representation by an experienced attorney. If you are facing a charge of aiding and abetting in Las Vegas, contact Weiner Law Group as soon as possible before you have a chance to forget important details. Even the most trivial bit of information can develop into a key fact in an experienced mind. You may believe that you have no choice but to plead guilty and hope for a lenient sentence. However, other options are available, and we can help you understand them and make the best decisions for your particular case.

  • Even though you were at the scene of the crime, there may not be any proof that you were a participant in the incident.
  • Prosecutors may not be able to prove that you intended to commit a crime.
  • Although you were an associate of the person who committed a crime, you may have been unaware of any criminal action.
  • The accusation against you may be for a crime committed previously.
  • Investigators can make mistakes as they gather evidence, interview witnesses and develop their case.

There may be other circumstances involved in the matter, and we will do our best to present your side of the case in a manner most beneficial to you. The Weiner Law Group, criminal defense attorneys have extensive knowledge and experience in advocating for the rights of people charged with aiding and abetting in Las Vegas. Our familiarity with working on criminal cases in Las Vegas, with judges and prosecutors possibly involved in your case, gives us an advantage when defending you.