How does the RICO law work?

The RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) Act allows for the prosecution of individuals involved in a criminal enterprise, emphasizing the connection amongst members engaged in illegal activities. Introduced in 1970, RICO enables law enforcement to charge all members of an enterprise under a unified legal action, even if their individual crimes are typically prosecutable with lighter penalties. This has significantly helped in dismantling organized crime by holding individuals accountable for being part of an overarching conspiracy. The law has been effective in promoting the collaboration of members with government authorities due to the severe penalties involved 1.

Jordan Harbinger explains that without RICO, individuals could dismiss significant charges by isolating their actions (like owning unregistered firearms or receiving illegal funds) as trivial offenses. RICO prevents this by linking their activities to a larger criminal plan, increasing the gravity of the charges they face 1.

In a practical sense, anyone who can be demonstrated to actively participate or even tangentially be involved in the criminal "enterprise" can be charged under RICO. This includes various types of organized groups beyond traditional mobs, such as gangs and other illegal syndicates. The broad application of the law is designed to disrupt the entire infrastructure of these organizations 1.