Racketeering

==RICO Act==
{{Main|Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act}}
On October 15, 1970, the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act ({{usc|18|1961|1968}}), commonly referred to as the "RICO Act", became [[United States]] law. The RICO Act allows federal law enforcement to charge a person or group of people with racketeering, defined as committing multiple violations of certain varieties within a ten-year period. The purpose of the RICO Act was stated as "the elimination of the infiltration of organized crime and racketeering into legitimate organizations operating in [[interstate commerce]]". S.Rep. No. 617, [[91st United States Congress|91st Cong.]], 1st Sess. 76 (1968). However, the statute is sufficiently broad to encompass [[crime|illegal activities]] relating to any enterprise affecting interstate or foreign [[commerce]].

{{usc|18|1961}}(10) provides that the [[United States Attorney General|Attorney General of the United States]] may designate any department or agency to conduct investigations authorized by the RICO statute and such department or agency may use the investigative provisions of the statute or the investigative power of such department or agency otherwise conferred by law. Absent a specific designation by the Attorney General, jurisdiction to conduct investigations for violations of {{usc|18|1962}} lies with the agency having jurisdiction over the violations constituting the pattern of racketeering activity listed in {{usc|18|1961}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/eousa/foia_reading_room/usam/title9/110mcrm.htm#9-110.010 |title=Organized Crime and Racketeering |publisher=Usdoj.gov |access-date=2012-02-18}}</ref>

In the United States, civil racketeering laws are also used in [[Federal judiciary of the United States|federal]] and [[State court (United States)|state courts]].