RICO

American  

[ree-koh] / ˈri koʊ /

noun

1. Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act: a U.S. law, enacted in 1970, allowing victims of organized crime to sue those responsible for punitive damages.

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Example Sentences

RICO, which stands for the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, targets members of corrupt organizations, allowing the government to try them together for seemingly unrelated crimes.

From Slate • Jul. 3, 2025

All of the defendants were charged with violating Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations, or RICO, law, an expansive anti-racketeering statute.

From Seattle Times • May 8, 2024

A Fulton County indictment filed in May 2022 accused Young Thug and 27 other people of conspiring to violate Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 13, 2023

The law, known as RICO, was once one of Mr. Giuliani’s favorite tools when he was cracking down on mobsters and Wall Street titans as Manhattan’s top federal prosecutor in the 1980s.

From Washington Times • Aug. 25, 2023

All are accused of running afoul of the state's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations, or RICO, law.

From Reuters • Aug. 16, 2023