Criminal conspiracy is a legal concept where two or more people intentionally come together and agree to commit a crime. The crime of conspiracy focuses on the agreement to undertake illegal activity, rather than on the actual completion of the crime itself. To be found guilty of criminal conspiracy, several elements are generally required:

• There must be an agreement between two or more persons to commit a crime or an unlawful act.
• The parties must have the intention to carry out the criminal plan.
• In many jurisdictions, at least one conspirator must take an overt act—an action toward furthering the conspiracy—to be charged, even if the act itself is not illegal.

Importantly, the crime of conspiracy can be charged even if the planned crime was never actually carried out, as long as the agreement and steps towards the crime exist. Penalties for conspiracy can be as severe as penalties for the crime that was conspired, and conspirators may be held liable for criminal acts committed by other members in furtherance of the conspiracy. Additionally, a defendant can withdraw from a conspiracy by clearly renouncing the agreement and notifying authorities. Examples of criminal conspiracy include planning armed robbery, murder, drug distribution, or fraud among others. In summary, criminal conspiracy is the act of agreeing and taking steps with others to commit a crime, and the law punishes this agreement as a criminal offense itself, regardless of whether the crime is completed or not. This definition and its elements are consistent across many legal systems, including federal law in the U.S. and other common law jurisdictions.