Research on Facilitators of Transnational Organized Crime: Understanding Crime Networks' Logistical Support

• In Event: Using United States Sentencing Commission Data and Presentence Investigation Reports for Research on Transnational Organized Crime and Human Trafficking

Abstract

Criminal facilitators help transnational criminal organizations conduct their illegal activities across national borders often by exploiting legal institutions to launder money, forge documents or smuggle goods, or augment otherwise legal activities with fraud or theft that aids transnational organized crime (TOC) networks. The main objective of this study was to develop a methodology for identifying facilitating crimes and offenders in federal sentencing data and develop typologies and modalities of criminal organizations and facilitators derived from systematically collected data and evidence. In the first step, we used electronic data collected by the U.S. Sentencing Commission to sample convicted offenders who appear to be facilitators. In the second step, we reviewed pre-sentence investigation reports for those who appear to be facilitators to determine whether they were, in fact, facilitators with ties to TOC. Finally, we interviewed a sample of facilitators incarcerated in Federal prisons to learn about the ways they initiated criminal facilitation activities for TOC networks, what skills and expertise TOC networks sought assistance with, and how they exploited otherwise licit institutions and infrastructure to carry out global criminal enterprises. The resulting methodology for identifying facilitators in federal sentencing data as well as the typologies of TOC facilitators will be discussed.

Authors

• Meg Chapman, Abt Associates Inc.

• Omri Drucker, Abt Associates Inc.

• Sarah Jalbert, Abt Associates Inc.

• Sharmini Radakrishnan, Abt Associates Inc.

• Kamala Smith, Abt Associates Inc.