Racketeering

RACKETEERING CAN BE generally defined with reference to an individual (a racketeer) who uses extortion, loan sharking, bribery, or obstruction of justice to further her illegal activities. Often, an individual who practices racketeering may also use her formal authority or some type of formal or informal power to illegally persuade others to further her interests. Although definitions of the term racketeering are contained within U.S. Federal statutes, these definitions have been criticized by legal scholars, who have argued that the definitions are too[Page 659] vague and ambiguous. The official definition of racketeering can be found in the Organized Crime Control Act of 1970, or Public Law 91–452. Interestingly, a synonym for racketeer is fraudster, a label that is often used to describe white-collar and corporate ...