Organized Crime Law and Legal Definition
Organized crime is any enterprise or group of persons engaged in a continuing illegal activity which has as its primary purpose the generation of profits. Beside the main activities being illegal under various state and federal laws, there are also laws which deal with money laundering from organized crime activities. Criminal organizations keep their illegal dealings secret, and members communicate by word of mouth. Many organized crime operations have profitable legal businesses, such as licensed gambling, building construction, or trash hauling which operate alongside and provide "cover" for the illegal businesses.
The FBI uses the criminal and civil provisions of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) Statute, as set forth in the FBI/ Department of Justice, Organized Crime/Drug Enterprise National Strategy, to combat organized crime.
Their main criminal activities are:
- racketeering;
- fraud;
- car theft;
- robbery;
- armed assault;
- drug dealing;
- trafficking in weapons and radioactive material;
- trafficking in human beings and exploitation through prostitution;
- alien smuggling;
- smuggling of precious and antique goods;
- extortion for protection money;
- gambling;
- embezzling from industries and financial institutions up to infiltration and control of private and commercial banks;
- controlling of black markets.
