Racketeering (RICO Act)
The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations ("RICO") Act 18 U.S.C. §§ 1961-68 (1994) was passed by the United States Congress to give law enforcement broad power to fight organized crime, whether "organized crime" was traditional mobsters, members of a drug ring, or gangsters. The RICO Act has over time, however, resulted in many unforeseen applications. For example, corporations have been sued under the RICO Act for allegedly distributing false advertisements; lawyers, bankers, accountants, and other professionals, have been sued under the RICO Act for allegedly assisting clients in organizing, or assisting in the organization of schemes to defraud; spouses have been sued for allegedly concealing the value of marital assets in divorce proceedings; and, civil protest groups have been sued for intimidating and extorting the customers of the industries that the protest aimed to disrupt.

Despite the aggressiveness that law enforcement utilizes the RICO Act, a defendant who does not fit the "organized criminal" stereotype may have many defenses such as whether the alleged criminal actions are within the scope of the RICO Act, whether the alleged criminal actions truly form a pattern, or whether the criminal actions were carried out through a criminal enterprise. If a RICO action has been initiated against you or a loved one or you think law enforcement officials are contemplating an action, we may be able to help you successfully defend and in some cases we may even be able to prevent initiation. In any case, it is imperative that you contact us as soon as possible.