ARS 13-2308: Participating in or assisting a criminal

What the State Must Prove Under § 13-2308

A. A person commits participating in a criminal syndicate by:

1. Intentionally organizing, managing, directing, supervising or financing a criminal syndicate with the intent to promote or further the criminal objectives of the syndicate; or
2. Knowingly inciting or inducing others to engage in violence or intimidation to promote or further the criminal objectives of a criminal syndicate; or
3. Furnishing advice or direction in the conduct, financing or management of a criminal syndicate’s affairs with the intent to promote or further the criminal objectives of a criminal syndicate; or
4. Intentionally promoting or furthering the criminal objectives of a criminal syndicate by inducing or committing any act or omission by a public servant in violation of his official duty; or
5. Hiring, engaging or using a minor for any conduct preparatory to or in completion of any offense in this section.

The State must prove every element of the paragraph it actually charged, beyond a reasonable doubt. Which paragraph appears on the complaint decides what the case is about, and it is the first thing to check.

Penalties for a § 13-2308 Conviction

Felony ranges are set by A.R.S. § 13-702(D) and apply to a first felony conviction that is not dangerous and not repetitive. A dangerous offense (§ 13-704), a repetitive offense (§ 13-703) or a dangerous crime against children (§ 13-705) carries a longer range, and some carry mandatory prison with no probation. Misdemeanor maximums come from §§ 13-707 and 13-802; surcharges are added on top of every fine.

Full Text of A.R.S. § 13-2308

Source: Arizona Revised Statutes § 13-2308, Arizona Legislative Council revision of 09/19/25. Read the official text on azleg.gov. Statutes change; verify the current version before relying on it.

Our Guides on This Charge

Written by our defense team on how these cases run in Arizona courts.

• What Does Assisting a Criminal Syndicate Mean? (13-2308)
• Day 242: ARS 13-2308.03: Understanding and Defending Against Terrorist Threat Charges in Arizona

Related Statutes in Chapter 23 — Organized Crime, Fraud And Terrorism

• A.R.S. § 13-2308.01 — Terrorism
• A.R.S. § 13-2308.02 — Making a terrorist threat
• A.R.S. § 13-2308.03 — Unlawful use of infectious biological substance or radiological agent
• A.R.S. § 13-2307 — Trafficking in stolen property
• A.R.S. § 13-2309 — Bribery of participants in professional or amateur games, sports, horse races, dog races, contests
• A.R.S. § 13-2306 — Possession of altered property
• A.R.S. § 13-2310 — Fraudulent schemes and artifices
• A.R.S. § 13-2311 — Fraudulent schemes and practices

How Tamou Law Group Defends § 13-2308 Cases

A § 13-2308 case is decided by the paragraph the State charged, not by the statute as a whole. We start with the charging document and the disclosure, identify which subsection the prosecutor has to prove, and test whether the evidence actually reaches every element of it. Where the class turns on a fact such as value, an alleged injury, a prior conviction or the identity of the person involved, that fact is frequently the difference between a class 2 through 4 felony and something far less serious, and it is where these cases are won.

We handle participating in or assisting a criminal cases across Maricopa County and statewide, from our Scottsdale and Phoenix offices. Call 623-321-4699 any time, or read the statute in full above before you speak to anyone about the case.