Racketeering / RICO

The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations, or RICO, Act became law in 1970. It was designed to help combat organized crime and can significantly enhance penalties faced for crimes that may be relatively minor. If five men or women commit five crimes individually, the punishment might not be exceedingly harsh. However, the RICO statute is intended to bring down organizations, and can turn those same crimes into a major prison term if committed by an organized group. Additionally, members of the organization may not have to have committed the crime in question, but can still be charged under RICO if they ordered or directed it or even somehow participated in the slightest.

Tim Bower Rodriguez understands the requirements and burden of proof of this law and will fight alongside you to make sure the outcome of your case is just. The RICO statutes can be applied to wire fraud, tax evasion, extortion, drug conspiracy, alien smuggling and child pornography.

If you feel that the United States Attorney’s Office might be preparing a RICO case against you, retain an experienced defense attorney, like Tim Bower Rodriquez, immediately. Charges of this nature can lead to significant prison time. There is also a civil component to the law that allows victims to sue for potentially staggering amounts of money.

What does federal law say about racketeering?

18 U.S. Code Chapter 96 is the actual law regarding RICO.