RICO

The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), 18 U.S.C. §§ 1961-1968, is a federal law enacted in 1970 that provides for criminal prosecution and civil penalties for acts performed as part of an ongoing criminal organization. To establish a RICO violation, prosecutors must prove a “pattern of racketeering activity” consisting of at least two predicate acts within ten years, committed by an “enterprise.” Many states have enacted analogous statutes; Georgia’s RICO law is notably broader than the federal version, allowing prosecution of conspiracies to commit crimes even where the underlying acts occurred outside the state.