What must be proven for a charged individual to be convicted of a conspiracy?

For a charged individual to be convicted of conspiracy, it is necessary to prove that there was an overt act in furtherance of the conspiracy. This means that at least one conspirator took concrete steps towards committing the crime that they conspired to commit. The overt act does not need to be illegal itself; it simply needs to demonstrate that the agreement to commit the crime was not merely theoretical and that the conspirators were actively working towards realizing their criminal objective.

This requirement shows that mere agreement or planning is not sufficient for a conspiracy charge; there must be some action that moves the conspiracy forward. The other options do not fulfill the essential criteria for a conspiracy conviction, as intent to deceive alone does not ensure any connection to an overt act, nor do admissions of guilt or evidence of prior offenses relate to this specific aspect of conspiracy law.