To be indicted means that a person has been formally charged with a crime, usually by a grand jury, after prosecutors present evidence that there is probable cause to believe that person committed that crime.

In simple terms:

  • It is an official accusation, not a finding of guilt.
  • It means the government is moving forward with criminal charges in a serious, formal way (often for felonies).
  • After an indictment, the person will usually have to appear in court to answer the charges, and the case can then go to trial or be resolved by a plea.

Being indicted does not mean the person is convicted or proven guilty; it just means the case has passed an early legal threshold and is formally going ahead in the criminal justice system.