mario salinas petitioner argued october decided december held section require government prove bribe question demonstrated effect upon federal funds enactment plain language expansive unqualified bribes forbidden entities covered demonstrating reference business transaction confined transactions affecting federal funds application cases organization government agency receives specified amount federal benefits reaches scheme involved prohibition accepting anything value encompasses transfers personal property petitioner exchange favorable treatment beltran given statute plain unambiguous meaning petitioner aided legislative history see albertini rule set forth gregory ashcroft mcnally see seminole tribe florida florida moreover construction seeks stand viewed light statutory limited federal bribery prohibitions public official defined officer employee person acting behalf branch thereof interpreted lower courts include state local officialsand expansion prescribed designed extend coverage bribes offered state local officials employed agencies receiving federal funds construction constitutional applied case application petitioner extend federal power beyond proper bounds since preferential treatment accorded beltran threat integrity proper operation federal program jail managed see westfall pp convicted conspiracy violate rico conspirator need committed agreed commit two predicate acts bribery requisite substantive rico offense section forbids person conspire violate even comprehensive general conspiracy provision applicable federal crimes since contains requirement overt specific act effect conspiracy object presuming congress intended conspire phrase ordinary meaning criminal law see morissette principles contemporary understanding demonstrate although conspirator must intend endeavor completed satisfy elements substantive criminal offense suffices adopt goal furthering facilitating criminal endeavor need agree undertake acts necessary crime completion salinas contrary interpretation violates foregoing principles refuted bannon acceptance moreover required rule lenity see shabani even salinas accept agree accept two bribes ample evidence sheriff committed least two predicate acts accepted numerous bribes salinas knew agreed facilitate scheme sufficient support salinas conviction pp affirmed kennedy delivered opinion unanimous notice opinion subject formal revision publication preliminary print reports readers requested notify reporter decisions washington typographical formal errors order corrections may made preliminary print goes press mario salinas petitioner writ certiorari appeals fifth circuit december justice kennedy delivered opinion case us presents two questions first federal bribery statute codified limited cases bribe demonstrated effect upon federal funds second conspiracy prohibition contained racketeer influenced corrupt organizations act rico apply conspirator agrees commit two predicate acts rico forbids ruling petitioner issues affirm judgment appeals fifth circuit federal prosecution arose bribery scheme operated brigido marmolejo sheriff hidalgo county texas petitioner mario salinas one principal deputies marshals service hidalgo county entered agreements county take custody federal prisoners exchange federal government agreed make grant county improving jail also agreed pay county specific amount per day federal prisoner housed based estimated number federal prisoners maintained payments county projected per year record us disclose precise amounts paid uncontested however two periods relevant case program resulted federal payments county well excess amount necessary coverage denied certiorari question whether monies paid county benefits federal program assume purposes opinion payments fit definitions homero one federal prisoners housed jail arrangement negotiated marshals service county incarcerated two intervals first months months custody periods beltran paid marmolejo series bribes exchange socalled contact visits remained alone wife occasions girlfriend beltran paid marmolejo fixed rate six thousand dollars per month one thousand dollars contact visit occurred twice week petitioner salinas chief deputy responsible managing jail supervising custody prisoners marmolejo available salinas arranged contact visits occasion stood watch outside room visits took place return assistance scheme salinas received beltran pair designer watches pickup truck salinas marmolejo indicted tried together salinas convictions us salinas charged one count violating rico one count conspiracy violate rico two counts bribery violation jury acquitted salinas substantive rico count convicted rico conspir acy count bribery counts divided panel appeals fifth circuit affirmed resolve case consider first bribery scheme conspiracy ii salinas contends government must prove bribe way affected federal funds instance diverting misappropriating bribe violates relevant statutory provisions follows whoever circumstance described subsection section exists agent organization state local indian tribal government agency thereof corruptly accepts agrees accept anything value person intending influenced rewarded connection business transaction series transactions organization government agency involving thing value shall fined title imprisoned years circumstance referred subsection section organization government agency receives one year period benefits excess federal program involving grant contract subsidy loan guarantee insurance form federal assistance used section term period means continuous period commences earlier twelve months commission offense ends later twelve months commission offense period may include time commission offense enactment expansive unqualified language bribes forbidden entities covered support interpretation federal funds must affected violate subject threshold business transaction question statute forbids acceptance bribe covered official intends influenced rewarded connection business transaction series transactions defined organization government agency prohibition confined business transaction affects federal funds word prefaces business transaction clause undercuts attempt impose narrowing construction see james trainmen baltimore ohio furthermore broad definition circumstances statute applies provides textual basis limiting reach bribery prohibition statute applies cases organization government agency receives statutory amount benefits federal program language reaches scheme alleged proved neither statute limit type bribe offered prohibits accepting agreeing accept anything value phrase encompasses trans fers personal property valuable consideration exchange influence reward includes personal property given salinas exchange favorable treatment beltran secured statute plain language fails provide basis limiting bribes affecting federal funds salinas attempts circumscribe statutory text pointing legislative history courts applying criminal laws generally must follow plain unambiguous meaning statutory language nly extraordinary showing contrary intentions legislative history justify departure language albertini citations omitted quoting garcia see also ardestani ins courts may deviate plain language statute exceptional circumstances construction salinas seeks stand viewed light statutory framework existence enacted expanded coverage prescribed new statute enacted federal criminal code contained single general bribery provision codified section terms applied public official statute defined officer employee person acting behalf department agency branch government thereof including district columbia official function authority department agency branch courts appeals divided whether state local employees considered public officials compare del toro cert denied mosley hinton aff sub nom dixson without awaiting resolution issue dixson congress enacted made clear federal law applies bribes kind offered state local officials del toro well issue mosley hinton chronology statutory language demonstrate designed extend federal bribery prohibitions bribes offered state local officials employed agencies receiving federal funds incongruous restrict manner salinas suggests facts reasoning del toro give particular instruction respect case second circuit held city employee public official even though federal funds eventually cover costs salaries program administered del toro program yet entered formal request federal funding second circuit reasoned existing committed federal funds purpose ibid enactment forecloses type limitation acceptance salinas suggestion bribe must affect federal funds falls within run contrary statutory expansion redressed negative effects second circuit narrow construction del toro need consider whether statute requires kind connection bribe expenditure federal funds case bribe related housing prisoner facilities paid significant part federal funds relationship close enough satisfy whatever connection statute might require salinas argues addition decisions gregory ashcroft mcnally require plain statement congressional intent construed apply bribes effect federal funds arguing however salinas makes much gregory mcnally cases confronted statute susceptible two plausible interpretations one altered existing balance federal state powers concluded absent clear indication congress intent change balance proper course adopt construction maintains existing balance gregory supra see also mcnally supra rule construction however requires penal statute strained distorted order exclude conduct clearly intended within scope statutes construed avoid constitutional questions interpretative canon license judiciary rewrite language enacted legislature heckler mathews conclusion purporting exercise judicial restraint trench upon legislative powers vested congress art constitution locke requirement articulated gregory mcnally warrant departure statute terms text unambiguous point consideration require government prove federal funds involved bribery transaction furthermore serious doubt constitutionality applied facts case beltran without question prisoner held jail managed pursuant series agreements federal government preferential treatment accorded threat integrity proper operation federal program whatever might said application cases application salinas extend federal power beyond proper bounds see westfall holding address applicability intangible benefits contact visits question fairly included within questions granted certiorari see yee escondido review appeals determination transactions issue involv ed thing value since salinas offer cognizable challenge aspect appeals decision simply decide matter statutory construction require government prove bribe question particular influence federal funds construction statute constitutional applied case iii salinas directs second challenge conviction conspiracy violate rico conspiracy offense says unless committed agreed commit two predicate acts requisite substantive rico offense salinas identifies conflict among courts appeals point decisions first second tenth circuits require rico conspiracy provision defendant must commit agree commit two predicate acts see sanders cert denied ruggiero cert denied sub nom rabito winter cert denied eight courts appeals including fifth circuit case take contrary view see pryba cert denied kragness neapolitan cert denied joseph adams cert denied tille cert denied carter cert denied sub nom morris turning rico conspiracy provision note substantive rico offense goal conspiracy alleged indictment provides shall unlawful person employed associated enterprise engaged activities affect interstate foreign commerce conduct participate directly indirectly conduct enterprise affairs pattern racketeering activity collection unlawful debt elements predominant subsection violation conduct enterprise pattern racketeering activity see sedima imrex pattern racketeering activity defined term requires least two acts racketeering activity predicate acts central discussion racketeering activity turn defined include act involving bribery chargeable state law punishable imprisonment one year government theory salinas committed substantive rico violation conducting enterprise affairs pattern racketeering activity included acceptance two bribes felonies punishable texas one year prison see tex penal code ann jury acquitted substantive count salinas convicted conspiracy however challenges conviction jury instructed must committed agreed commit two predicate acts interpretation conspiracy statute wrong rico conspiracy statute simple formulation provides shall unlawful person conspire violate provisions subsection section requirement overt act specific act statute us unlike general conspiracy provision applicable federal crimes requires least one conspirators committed act effect object conspiracy rico conspiracy provision even comprehensive general conspiracy offense interpreting provisions adhere general rule congress uses terminology criminal law words presumed ordinary meaning definition see morissette relevant statutory phrase conspire presume congress intended use term conventional sense certain principles follow conspiracy may exist even conspirator agree commit facilitate every part substantive offense see oil partners criminal plan must agree pursue criminal objective may divide work yet responsible acts see pinkerton long partnership crime continues partners act carrying forward conspirators plan calls conspirators perpetrate crime others provide support supporters guilty perpetrators justice holmes observed lainly person may conspire commission crime third person holte person moreover may liable conspiracy even though incapable committing substantive offense rabinowich point salinas tries make opposition principles refuted bannon defendants charged conspiring violate general conspiracy statute requires proof overt act see supra one defendant objected indictment allege committed overt act see bannon supra rejected argument erode principle long share common purpose conspirators liable acts observed bannon require overt act proven every member conspiracy distinct act connecting combination alleged innovation upon established principles render prosecutions offence nugatory rico conspiracy statute broadened conspiracy coverage omitting requirement overt act time work radical change requiring government prove conspirator agreed one commit two predicate acts recitation conspiracy law comports contemporary understanding congress passed rico see pub stat american law institute model penal code permitted person convicted conspiracy long agrees person persons one engage conduct constitutes crime american law institute model penal code drafters emphasized long purpose agreement facilitate commission crime actor need agree commit crime american law institute model penal code tent draft model penal code still uses formulation see model penal code conspirator must intend endeavor completed satisfy elements sub stantive criminal offense suffices adopt goal furthering facilitating criminal endeavor may number ways short agreeing undertake acts necessary crime completion one conspirator agreeing facilitate acts leading substantive offense elementary conspiracy may exist punished whether substantive crime ensues conspiracy distinct evil dangerous public punishable see callanan makes difference substantive offense subsection requires two predicate acts interplay subsections permit us excuse reach conspiracy provision actor commit agree commit two predicate acts requisite underlying offense true though enterprise exist one actor conduct instances conducted one person entity turn may make somewhat difficult determine enterprise ends conspiracy begins hand whether two crimes coincident factual circumstances cases connection defendant alleged enterprise conspiracy may tenuous enough commission two predicate acts may become important part government case perhaps considerations leading circuits require conspiracy cases conspirator commit agree commit two predicate acts nevertheless proposition sustained definition conspiracy offense contrary principles discussed case us even salinas accept agree accept two bribes ample evidence conspired violate subsection evidence showed marmolejo committed least two acts racketeering activity accepted numerous bribes salinas knew agreed facilitate scheme sufficient support conviction final matter salinas says statutory interpretation required rule lenity rule apply statute unambiguous invoked engraft illogical requirement text see shabani judgment appeals affirmed footnotes