Opinion ID: 747168
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 9

Heading: Racketeering and Conspiracy

Text: 64 Defendants assert if we reverse their convictions on the immigration and environmental crimes counts, we must reverse their convictions for conspiracy and racketeering. Because we affirm defendants' convictions for visa fraud and environmental violations, we will affirm these convictions as well. 65 Defendants also contend their racketeering convictions must be overturned because none of the predicate acts was a local Virgin Islands offense. The Virgin Islands RICO statute, 14 V.I.C. § 604, requires only that at least one predicate act charged as a federal offense also constitute a felony under Virgin Islands law. 14 V.I.C. § 604(j)(2)(C). But, the one requisite local predicate act need not be charged as a local felony, but merely constitute one. Here, defendants were charged with and convicted for conspiracy under federal law. Conspiracy also constitutes a felony under the Virgin Islands Code. See 14 V.I.C. § 551. We see no error here.