RICO Law+, also known as the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) Amendments Act, is a federal law that expands the scope of the original RICO Act. RICO was enacted in 1970 to combat organized crime, but it has since been used to prosecute a wide range of criminal activity, including white-collar crime, corruption, and terrorism.
RICO Law+ was passed in 2005 in response to https://www.lawhints.com/ concerns that the original RICO Act was not broad enough to cover certain types of criminal activity. For example, the original RICO Act did not cover predicate acts committed by corporations or other business entities. RICO Law+ addresses this loophole by adding several new predicate acts to the RICO statute, including:
- Bribery of a public official
- Mail and wire fraud
- Securities fraud
- Money laundering
- Obstruction of justice
- Perjury
- Cybercrime
RICO Law+ also makes it easier for prosecutors to prove a RICO case by expanding the definition of “enterprise” to include informal associations of individuals and businesses. This means that prosecutors can now charge RICO cases against individuals and businesses that are not traditionally considered to be organized crime syndicates.
RICO Law+ has been a powerful tool for law enforcement in combating a wide range of criminal activity. It has been used to prosecute cases involving everything from corporate fraud to drug trafficking to human trafficking. RICO Law+ has also been used to seize billions of dollars in assets from criminals.
Here are some specific examples of how RICO Law+ has been used to prosecute criminals:
- In 2009, Bernie Madoff was convicted of RICO charges for his role in a $65 billion Ponzi scheme.
- In 2011, the accounting firm Arthur Andersen was convicted of RICO charges for its role in the Enron scandal.
- In 2018, the Mexican drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán was convicted of RICO charges for leading the Sinaloa Cartel.
RICO Law+ is a complex and powerful law. It is important to note that RICO Law+ is not a silver bullet for combating crime. It is also important to note that RICO Law+ has been criticized by some for being too broad and for giving prosecutors too much power.
Conclusion
Despite its critics, RICO Law+ is an important tool for law enforcement in combating a wide range of criminal activity. It has been used to prosecute some of the most notorious criminals in the world, and it has helped to seize billions of dollars in assets from criminals.