When Michael Corleone makes a case for killing Virgil Sollozo and a police captain in The Godfather, Michael mentions that the family’s newspaper contacts could write a story about “A dishonest cop; a cop who got caught in the rackets.”
The term racketeering was first used in 1927 when the Employers Association of Chicago penned a statement about the Teamsters Union and organized crime. A racket, being in the rackets, and racketeering all describe organized criminal acts.
RICO
The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) was signed into law in 1970 and can be found at 18 USC §§1961-1968. A racket is considered a dishonest service created by those who wish to profit from that service. The service is one that is not necessarily needed until the need is created by the perpetrator. A protection money scheme is a good example of racketeering. Organized criminals enter a neighborhood, cause trouble for shop owners in the neighborhood, and then extort money from those shop owners with a promise to provide protection from the very elements the racketeers created.
More Racketeering Examples
- Illegal gambling includes illicit casinos, card rooms, and sports betting.
- Drug sales.
- Fencing rackets where criminals buy stolen goods.
- Kidnapping in some cases.
While the examples above are certainly still happening these days, due to the modern times we live in, racketeering schemes have become more sophisticated. For instance, ransomware bandits may hack into a company’s computer system taking control over it and freezing it. For the company to get relief from the hack and have their system unfrozen, they will have to pay a certain amount of money. Typically in these technology-related rackets, the extorted money is demanded by means of untraceable tender like Bitcoin.
Civil Penalties for RICO
The Feds often use RICO to prosecute organized criminals, but individuals can also bring civil suits against racketeers and sue for damages. To succeed with a civil RICO lawsuit, the plaintiff must show the following:
- RICO crimes were committed.
- There was a pattern of the crimes. If the defendant just committed one crime, RICO does not apply. It must be shown that the defendant repeated the criminal activities for at least a one-year period.
- The racketeering was committed during the Supreme Court-mandated four-year statute of limitations.
Get Qualified Legal Help
You may not be a genuine racketeer, but maybe you ended up on the wrong side of the law for any number of reasons. Bad things can happen to good people, and good people can commit illegal acts. However, with the right legal support it can be possible to turn an unfortunate situation around.
If you have engaged in any criminal activity and are worried about the consequences, do not hesitate to seek qualified legal help from a genuine licensed attorney–not from an AI website. If you need representation for a criminal drug charge in Cook County, Glasgow & Olsson is uniquely qualified to help. When you need an attorney whose experience matters, contact them today to learn how the firm’s experience can get you the results you deserve.