罪孽 is literary and carries a strong moral/religious weight, often used in Buddhist or Christian contexts. For everyday 'crime' use 罪 (zuì) or 犯罪 (fànzuì) instead.
culture
In Buddhist thought, 孽 relates to karma — the consequences of evil deeds that follow one across lifetimes. 罪孽深重 (zuìniè shēnzhòng) means 'burdened with deep sins.'
