accessory before the fact accessory before the fact /əkˈsɛsəri bɪˈfɔr ðə fækt/

noun

1. A person who procures, advises or commands the commission of a felony but who is not present at its perpetration  ( accessory before the fact )
   a person who procures, advises or commands the commission of a felony but who is not present at its perpetration