Practice Area - RICO - Racketeering

The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (commonly referred to as RICO Act or RICO) is a United States federal law that provides for enhanced criminal penalties and a civil cause of action for acts performed as part of an ongoing criminal organization. RICO was enacted by section 901(a) of the Organized Crime Control Act of 1970 (Pub.L. 91-452, 84 Stat. 922, enacted October 15, 1970). RICO is codified as Chapter 96 of Title 18 of the United States Code, 18 U.S.C. § 1961-1968. While it was intended to prosecute the Mafia as well as others who were actively engaged in organized crime, its application has been quite wide.

If you think that you may be under investigation or possibly facing criminal charges you are seriously advised to retain the services of an attorney.

Under RICO, a person who is a member of an enterprise that has committed any two of 35 crimes-27 federal crimes and 8 state crimes-within a 10-year period can be charged with racketeering. Those found guilty of racketeering can be fined up to $250,000 and/or sentenced to 20 years in prison per racketeering count. In addition, the racketeer must forfeit all ill-gotten gains and interest in any business gained through a pattern of "racketeering activity."

The summaries found on these pages are intended to give a broad picture of the types of criminal charges and are not intended as legal advice. The laws may have changed from the last update. For reliable information on state and criminal laws speak to an experienced criminal defense attorney about the facts of a specific case.

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