How to Fight a Criminal Conspiracy Charge in California

Being charged with criminal conspiracy in California can feel like a legal trap. You might not have committed the actual crime — but if the state believes you “agreed” to it, you’re now facing felony charges, years in prison, and a serious criminal record. Many people are blindsided when they’re arrested or questioned about a conspiracy case, especially if their alleged role was minor, indirect, or based entirely on someone else’s word.

But here’s what you need to know: a conspiracy charge is often easier to file than it is to prove. Prosecutors need to show more than just association or bad timing — they need evidence that you knowingly agreed to commit a crime with at least one other person, and that someone took a concrete step toward making that crime happen.

At The Law Offices of Arash Hashemi, we’ve been defending clients against serious felony charges in Los Angeles for over 20 years — including conspiracy cases that involved drug offenses, theft rings, fraud, and even alleged violent plots. Whether you’re under investigation, already arrested, or named in a warrant, we can help you fight back and protect your future.

In California, conspiracy is charged under Penal Code § 182, which makes it a separate crime to plan a criminal act with others — even if the crime itself never happens. In fact, you can be charged with conspiracy without ever touching a weapon, stealing anything, or personally committing the underlying offense.

So how do you fight back?

First, we look at intent and agreement. Prosecutors have to prove that you knowingly agreed to commit a crime — not just that you were present, aware, or friends with someone who did. If you were at the wrong place at the wrong time, or if someone else falsely implicated you to protect themselves, we challenge those assumptions head-on.

Next, we scrutinize the “overt act” requirement. For a conspiracy conviction, someone — not necessarily you — must have taken a clear step to further the crime. That can be as simple as buying tools, making a phone call, or scouting a location. But vague or speculative acts aren’t enough. If the prosecution can’t connect a real action to a real plan, the case starts to fall apart.

We also look for entrapment or coercion, especially in cases involving undercover officers or confidential informants. If law enforcement pushed you into saying or doing something you wouldn’t have done otherwise, or used deceptive tactics to create the crime, we can raise that as a legal defense.

In some cases, conspiracy charges are built entirely on text messages, group chats, or recorded calls. We examine the context, timing, and language — and if needed, bring in experts to show that what’s being interpreted as a “criminal plan” was vague, sarcastic, taken out of context, or not enough to support a felony conspiracy case.

And just as important — we fight the underlying charge. Because if the “target crime” isn’t provable (like drug sales, theft, or assault), the conspiracy charge may not hold up either.

The penalties for conspiracy vary depending on the underlying offense. If you’re accused of conspiring to commit a felony — like robbery, fraud, or drug trafficking — you can face the same punishment as if you’d committed the crime itself. That can mean multiple years in prison, strike enhancements under California’s Three Strikes Law, immigration consequences, and more. But even in serious cases, we’ve helped clients:

• Get charges reduced to misdemeanors

• Qualify for probation or diversion

• Win full dismissals based on lack of evidence

Our job is to push back on the assumptions. Just because someone said your name, or your number showed up in a group text, doesn’t mean the state can prove you intended to commit a crime. Prosecutors often overreach in conspiracy cases — and we hold them accountable.

When you contact our office, we’ll sit down with you — confidentially — and review everything the prosecution has (or doesn’t have). We’ll explain the charges, your rights, and every available defense strategy. If law enforcement wants to talk to you, we step in immediately. If you’ve already been charged, we file aggressive motions to suppress weak evidence, exclude unreliable witnesses, and attack the foundation of the case.

And through every step of the process — from arraignment to possible dismissal — Attorney Arash Hashemi fights to keep you out of jail, protect your record, and restore your peace of mind.

Contact our office today to schedule your free consultation. We are located at Westside Towers in Los Angeles and proudly serve clients throughout the greater Los Angeles area — including Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Culver City, Westwood, Marina del Rey, and surrounding neighborhoods.

Schedule Your Consultation Today

📞 Phone: (310) 448-1529
📅 Schedule Your Free 15-Minute Consultation: Conveniently book online through our secure system.
📧 Email: Contact@hashemilaw.com
🏢 Address: 11845 W Olympic Blvd #520, Los Angeles, CA 90064
⏰ Office Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM, with flexible scheduling, including weekend appointments.