One of the clearest signs that the United  States has become irredeemably corrupt is the way that elite-favored entities receive light prosecution when they violate laws that would result in severe penalties for ordinary members of society. A good example of this is the treatment of a famous private military contracting firm that admitted to serious weapons violations. In comparison, a run of the mill firearms maker/dealer that committed much less serious crimes was put out of the firearms business by the government.

On 7 August 2012, the company formerly known as Blackwater entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the US Government. Criminal prosecutors had charged Blackwater, now known as Academi, with the illegal purchase and possession of dozens of fully automatic weapons.