If you are being investigated or have been charged for participation in a Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO), you should speak with a RICO lawyer in Tampa immediately. Individuals implicated in RICO crimes can face severe penalties. Due to the complexity and severity of RICO cases, it’s critical that you seek the counsel of a knowledgeable lawyer that has extensive experience in defending RICO prosecutions.
The stakes are very high in RICO cases and require a great deal of investigation and preparation. If you have been charged under RICO or a state racketeering law or believe a charge may be imminent, The Rickman Law Firm will aggressively defend and challenge every aspect of the crime charged to ensure a favorable outcome of your case.
The RICO Act was passed in 1970 by Congress to combat organized crime from Mafia groups. However, due to increased corruption in a variety of organizations, the RICO Act has expanded to combat corrupt activity in associations and business organizations, including police departments and motorcycle gangs. The law establishes severe consequences for those who engage in a pattern of organized crime, white-collar crime, political corruption, and fraud.
Under Florida Statute 895, racketeering activity encompasses 35 offenses—27 federal and 8 state—that constitute racketeering. These offenses include homicide, kidnapping, arson, extortion, securities fraud, embezzlement, witness tampering, bribery, and predicate offenses such as mail and wire fraud.
A violation of RICO law is established when the following five factors are present:
An enterprise is any legal or nonlegal entity consisting of an individual, partnership, corporation, association, union, or group of individuals associated in fact. A “pattern of racketeering” is at least two racketeering acts committed within the same 10 year period. You may also be subject to seizure and loss of personal property, your real estate, your business, and bank accounts.
RICO attorneys in Tampa work tenaciously to refute the above factors to clear your name of any criminal activity.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for general educational information only. This information does not constitute legal advice, is not intended to constitute legal advice, nor should it be relied upon as legal advice for your specific factual pattern or situation.