Asset forfeiture takes the profit out of the
crime. There is an element of simple justice in
ensuring that a wrongdoer is deprived of the fruits
of illegal acts, but there is also an element of
general deterrence as well. Surely, the incentive
to engage in economic crime is diminished if
persons contemplating such activity understand
that there is high likelihood that they will not be
allowed to retain any profits that might be reaped.
Conversely, convicting the defendant, but not
forfeiting the illegally gained benefits, gives
others the impression that a life of crime is worth
the risk