# Justice Manual § 9-11.130: Limitation on Naming Persons as Unindicted Co-Conspirators

> Federal · Agency guidance · In force

URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-11.130

## Section

- **Citation:** Justice Manual § 9-11.130
- **Heading:** Limitation on Naming Persons as Unindicted Co-Conspirators
- **Jurisdiction:** Federal
- **Kind:** Agency guidance
- **Status:** In force
- **Text as of:** August 14, 2026
- **Source:** Compiled text
- **Location:** DOJ Justice Manual / Title 9: Criminal / 9-11.000 - Grand Jury / Justice Manual § 9-11.130

## Text

In the absence of some significant justification, federal prosecutors generally should not identify unindicted co-conspirators in conspiracy indictments. The practice of naming individuals as unindicted co-conspirators in an indictment charging a criminal conspiracy has been severely criticized in
United States v. Briggs
, 514 F.2d 794 (5th Cir. 1975).

Ordinarily, there is no need to name a person as an unindicted co-conspirator in an indictment in order to fulfill any legitimate prosecutorial interest or duty. For purposes of indictment itself, it is sufficient, for example, to allege that the defendant conspired with "another person or persons known." In any indictment where an allegation that the defendant conspired with "another person or persons known" is insufficient, some other generic reference should be used, such as "Employee 1" or "Company 2". The use of non-generic descriptors, like a person's actual initials, is usually an unnecessarily-specific description and should not be used.

If identification of the person is required, it can be supplied, upon request, in a bill of particulars.
See
JM 9-27.760
. With respect to the trial, the person's identity and status as a co-conspirator can be established, for evidentiary purposes, through the introduction of proof sufficient to invoke the co-conspirator hearsay exception without subjecting the person to the burden of a formal accusation by a grand jury.

The prohibition against naming unindicted co-conspirators should not extend to persons who have otherwise been charged with the same conspiracy, by way of unsealed criminal complaint or information. In the absence of some significant justification, federal prosecutors generally should not identify unindicted co-conspirators in conspiracy indictments. See
JM 9-16.500
;
9-27.760
.

[updated April 2018] [cited in
JM 9-16.500
]

## Nearby sections

- [Justice Manual § 9-11.010 Introduction](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-11.010.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-11.101 Powers and Limitations of Grand Juries—The Functions of a Grand Jury](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-11.101.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-11.120 Power of a Grand Jury Limited by Its Function](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-11.120.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-11.121 Venue Limitations](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-11.121.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-11.130 Limitation on Naming Persons as Unindicted Co-Conspirators](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-11.130.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-11.140 Limitation on Grand Jury Subpoenas](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-11.140.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-11.141 Fair Credit Reporting Act and Grand Jury Subpoenas](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-11.141.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-11.142 Grand Jury Subpoenas for Financial Records](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-11.142.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-11.150 Subpoenaing Targets of the Investigation](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-11.150.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-11.151 Advice of "Rights" of Grand Jury Witnesses](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-11.151.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-11.152 Requests by Subjects and Targets to Testify Before the Grand Jury](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-11.152.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-11.153 Notification of Targets](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-11.153.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-11.154 Advance Assertions of an Intention to Claim the Fifth Amendment Privilege Against Compulsory Self-Incrimination](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-11.154.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-11.155 Notification to Targets when Target Status Ends](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-11.155.md)

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Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-11.130. Check the current official text before relying on it. Not legal advice.