You are a prosecutor who thinks it is possible that Louisa, in her role as CEO of a brokerage firm, has stolen money from her customers, many of whom are not well off.

If you charge her and her company with RICO violations, you know that she is likely to plea bargain because otherwise her assets and those of the company may be frozen by the court. As part of the plea bargain, you might be able to get her to disclose evidence about other people who might have taken part in this criminal activity. But you do not have any hard evidence at this point.

Would such an indictment be ethical? Do the ends justify the means?

If your answer above is no, what would you want to have before indicting Louisa?

Is it worth it to harm Louisa for the chance of protecting the innocent investors?