Conspiracy is an agreement between two or more parties to break the law at some time in the future, so a natural person identified with the mind of a legal entity cannot conspire with the company alone. There is no limit on the number participating in the conspiracy and no requirement that any steps have been taken to put the plan into effect. Many federal statutes exist which criminalize certain agreements between two or more parties. However, the three most common are:

1. Title 18 U.S.C. § 371 - Two or more persons conspire to violate a federal law such as mail fraud, securities fraud, public corruption, or bank fraud;

2. Title 18 U.S.C. § 1956(h) - Two or more persons conspire to launder monetary instruments or to engage in a monetary transaction derived from illegal activity;

3. Title 21 U.S.C. § 846- Two or more persons conspire to manufacture or possess with intent to deliver a controlled substance.*

* In order to be convicted under 21 U.S.C. § 846, the government need not show that the defendant committed any obvious act in furtherance of the conspiracy.