RICO laws were formed to combat organized crime
The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) was enacted by section 901(a) of the Organized Crime Control Act of 1970
The purpose of RICO was to break down the power structure of organized crime in the United States. This meant warring mob bosses and their cronies that controlled such organizations.
Vicarious Liability
Over the past 25 years, RICO’s reach has included crimes involving criminal conspiracies to criminally implicate those not directly connected to the center of a conspiracy. However, the participant can still be held vicariously liable for those acts committed by others acting or assisting in furthering the crime.
Penalties Under RICO
RICO embodies both civil and criminal penalties for those participating in what prosecutors call an ongoing criminal enterprise. On the criminal side, the full prison term for a single person on one proven RICO charge is 20 years. The court has the discretion to extend the prison term to life in prison for any proven murder charge proximately caused by the criminal enterprise.
Types of RICO Crimes
Examples of crimes under RICO include:
- money laundering
- white-collar crimes
- obstruction of justice
- insurrection
- drug distribution
- loan sharking
- kidnapping for ransom
- trafficking in child pornography
As of 2023, the fastest growing form of RICO crimes has been organized cybercrimes.
