There are two types of federal conspiracy. They can found under 18 USC Section 371. The first type of conspiracy is conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States. The second type is conspiracy to defraud the United States or its agencies.

The first type of offense does not require that the United States or one of its agencies be the target of the conspiracy. In the latter type of conspiracy such as fraud, the United States must be a target of the conspiracy.

The defraud clause under Section 371 includes interfering or obstructing a lawful governmental function by trickery, deceit, craft, or dishonesty.