The phrase “racketeering” refers to a wide range of illegal activities, most commonly including extortion. It’s most commonly used to refer to the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act’s patterns of illegal activity (RICO). This is a federal statute in the United States that makes it illegal to acquire or control a business via the commission of certain crimes or the receipt of proceeds from those crimes.
Under the legislation, it is also unlawful to participate, even indirectly, in certain commercial crimes or to plot to conduct any of the above.
Bribery, fraud, gambling offenses, money laundering, financial and economic crimes, obstructing justice or a criminal investigation, murder for hire, and child sexual exploitation are among the federal crimes included in RICO. Murder, abduction, gambling, arson, robbery, bribery, extortion, trading in obscene stuff, and other crimes are all considered racketeering at the state level.