Fact from fiction, truth from diction. As they say in dominoes, all money ain’t good money. Crime, if it is the right crime, can make tons of money quick. Would it be enough to really overshadow the risk? IMO, hardly, if you want some quick change to buy some electronic toys, some bling, and fancy car, but not a real exotic sports car, it can do that. It isn’t real wealth though. Until you can own property and have proper toys like a private jet, yacht, etc.
Fifteen to twenty in the big house is hardly the risk for money that doesn’t work passively to the point that you can earn more while you are sleeping than you can when you are awake.
It is not so much as making the money easy, but keeping it coming over the long haul. You can never make real wealth behind crime. If you are in that level the danger is 20 times greater. You can try to run a cartel, but everyone is gunning for you. You won’t get any money from robbing banks or smash and grab jewelry heist. A Ponzi scheme might work for a while but it is not secret, there is a paper trail. Even if you bail, your hands might still be dirty.
It all comes down to if you want your money to be like coal, starting slower but lasting longer, or be as kindling, flash up quick and be gone as quick also.