Maximum imprisonment for criminal conspiracy is up to how many years?

• A. 14 years
• B. 10 years
• C. 7 years
• D. 5 years

Answer: (A)

Criminal conspiracy is an indictable offense that occurs when two or more people agree to commit an offense. It can be charged even if the planned crime is never completed, because the act is the agreement itself being punished as a crime.

The penalty for conspiracy to commit an indictable offense is tied to the severity of the offense being conspired to commit, and in practice the ceiling is fourteen years in prison. This reflects the serious nature of planning and agreeing to commit a crime, even if the plan never comes to fruition. If the conspiracy targets an offense that carries a higher maximum (for example, murder, which can carry life), that higher maximum can apply, but for typical conspiracies the established limit is fourteen years.