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https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/racketeer_influenced_and_corrupt_organizations_act_(rico)#:~:text=The%20Racketeer%20Influenced%20and%20Corrupt,of%20an%20organized%20criminal%20enterprise.

The Racketeer Influenced andCorrupt Organizations Act (RICO)

The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) is a federal law (codified at18 U.S.C. §§ 1961-68) targeting organized criminal activity andracketeering. RICO enhances existing criminal punishments and creates newcauses of actionfor acts done as a part of an organized criminalenterprise.

The law wasoriginally passed in 1970as a part of a larger movement to curb organized crime and to allow victims of organized crime torecover. While the original statute was primarily targeted at the mafia who’s disconnected structure made conviction of high-ranking members difficult due to the inability to tie them directly to crimes, the use of the statute has now been used to take down many notable criminal enterprises.

RICO imposes a maximum criminalpenaltyof 20 years inprisonfor violations of thestatute. If sentenced thedefendant must alsoforfeitall proceeds obtained while engaging in racketeering activity to the government. To be convicted under RICO, a pattern of racketeering activity is necessary. This means that at least 2 separate activities that can be classified as racketeering must have occurred within 10 years of each other.

RICO allows for a private individual that was injured by a violation of the law to recovertreble damagessuffered by the wrongful activity of theoffender. A criminal conviction under RICO against the defendant willestopthem from defending the allegations if they are brought tocivilcourt.

[Last updated in August of 2023 by theWex Definitions Team]

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