Some recent cases, such as Yegiazaryan v. Smagin and Medical Marijuana v. Horn, show that the courts are grappling with the statute’s injury requirement and might expand the sense of hope for plaintiffs.
In the November 7, 2024 edition of The Legal Intelligencer, Edward Kang writes, “Civil RICO’s Expanding Reach: From Foreign Schemes to Lost Employment.” Continue reading ›
Civil RICO is seen as “the litigation equivalent of a thermonuclear device,” and civil RICO claims are often employed in complex, high-stakes litigation.
In the July 5, 2024 Edition of The Legal Intelligencer, Edward T. Kang writes, “From Mobsters to Fraudsters: Clearing the Bar for Civil RICO Claims.” Continue reading ›
Philadelphia, PA (November 1, 2023): A jury trial in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Shin Da Enterprises, Inc., et al, v. Wei Xiang Yong, et al., yielded a Civil Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) judgment of more than five million dollars for violations of RICO 18 U.S.C. 1962(c) and civil conspiracy to violate RICO under 18 USC 1962(d). Continue reading ›
The Supreme Court recently issued its opinion in Yegiazaryan v. Smagin affirming the Ninth Circuit’s holding and providing RICO plaintiffs with a powerful tool against debtors employing fraudulent tactics to avoid payment.
In the July 20, 2023 Edition of The Legal Intelligencer, Edward T. Kang wrote “Sophisticated Schemers Beware: Civil RICO Expands Creditors’ Arsenal—Part II.” Continue reading ›
Those plaintiffs counsel practicing in the Third Circuit should rejoice in knowing that RICO provides a powerful tool for creditors against debtors using fraudulent means to avoid paying.
In the January 5, 2023 edition of The Legal Intelligencer, Edward T. Kang wrote “Sophisticated Schemers Beware: Civil RICO Expands Creditors’ Arsenal” Continue reading ›
A recent decision out of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan underscored the RICO “proximate cause” inquiry highlighting yet another, often overlooked, complexity in litigating such cases.
In the July 23, 2020 edition of The Legal Intelligencer Edward T. Kang, managing member of Kang Haggerty wrote “Civil RICO and Proximate Cause: A Tool for Defendants and Challenge for Plaintiffs.”
In March 2018, I authored a column on civil RICO claims brought under 18 U.S.C. Section 1962(a) and (b). In that space, I explained the complexity of those sections within RICO cases. A recent decision out of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan underscored the RICO “proximate cause” inquiry highlighting yet another, often overlooked, complexity in litigating such cases.
My last article, dated Jan. 25, visited the RICO pleadings requirement in light of the class action RICO lawsuit filed against Harvey Weinstein. The Weinstein RICO action is brought under the most popular section—Section 1962(c). In the article, I discussed the stringent requirements of pleading and proving civil RICO claims and outlined some of the obstacles for plaintiffs.
The complexity with RICO (the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act), however, does not end there. Almost all RICO lawsuits filed are brought under Section 1962(c) (note: violation under Section 1962(d) relating to conspiracy to violate a substantive section is routinely asserted whenever there is a violation of a substantive section). But, what about Sections (a) and (b)? Why are these sections rarely used? Is it because these sections are generally inapplicable? While the specificity of Sections 1962(a) and (b) compared to the breadth of Section 1962(c) is a reason these sections are not commonly used, it is also because they are more difficult to understand, and often misunderstood. In effect, these sections have become virtually forgotten. While many lawyers have an understanding—ranging from basic to advance—of Section (c), far fewer understand (a) and (b).
Pleading and Proving a RICO Violation Under Section 1962(a)— Investment of Income
Section 1962(a) is primarily concerned with money laundering activity. This section makes it unlawful for “any person who has received any income derived … from a pattern of racketeering activity … to use or invest … any part of such income … in acquisition of an interest in … any enterprise ….” Here, the RICO enterprise is the “prize” of the racketeers whereas the RICO enterprise is the “instrument” of the racketeers under Section 1962(c).
Section 1962(a) prohibits investing any income derived from a pattern of racketeering activity to acquire any interest in an enterprise. The section prohibits a person from using “dirty money,” for instance, to buy a membership interest in a legitimate business. As stated above, money laundering is typically the most common goal of the racketeers under this section. By investing dirty money into a legitimate business and, in turn, using the business to write checks to themselves (or affiliates), the racketeers complete the money laundering cycle.
In the January 25, 2018 edition of The Legal Intelligencer, Edward Kang, Managing Member of Kang Haggerty, writes on How RICO Plays a Role in the World of Harvey Weinstein and #MeToo.
Who in civil litigation does not love a good RICO claim? Its boundaries are seemingly endless, and in the case of Harvey Weinstein—perhaps one of the most vilified defendants on the planet right now—there is the possibility of catastrophic implications, as if being the face of an entire movement (#MeToo) is not bad enough.
Civil claims under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, 18 U.S.C. Sections 1961-1968 (RICO Act), are highly desirable for plaintiffs and their attorneys because, if successful, they provide for treble damages, plus attorney fees and costs of litigation. Very few plaintiffs succeed on a RICO claim, however, so the decision to file one should not be made lightly. Many plaintiffs fail during the pleadings stage, and their claims are dismissed under Rule 12(b)(6). For defendants, like Weinstein, the possible implications of RICO can be disastrous. This potential implication is why defendants of civil RICO claims are eager to settle if the claim survives a motion to dismiss and shows a strong likelihood of surviving a motion for summary judgment. For example, in 2016, Trump University did just that—it settled a civil RICO suit for $25 million, which paled compared to its potential exposure of $170 million.
The RICO Act was passed in 1970 as part of the Organized Crime Control Act of 1970 to combat large organized crime operations led by the American Mafia and their growing infiltration of legitimate businesses and organizations. Although the RICO Act was drafted to bring down gangsters, it is certainly not limited to that purpose and has evolved into a mechanism to confront business fraud and corruption over the last half-century. This is evidenced by the recent high-profile civil RICO lawsuit filed against Harvey Weinstein.
Kang Haggerty LLC is pleased to announce that Gregory H. Mathews, Of Counsel, has been selected for inclusion in the 2018 edition of The Best Lawyers in America one of the most respected peer-review publications in the profession.
Mathews is named to the list for his distinguished contributions to the practice area of commercial litigation. Commercial litigation involves any type of dispute that can arise in the business context, including breach of contract cases, SEC and NASD claims, class actions, business torts, civil RICO claims, breach of fiduciary duty allegations, and shareholder issues. Successful commercial litigators, such as Mathews, are able to assess the merits of a dispute and scale either a prosecution or defense that fits the legal and business needs of their clients.
Best Lawyers was founded in 1983 and is published in 70 countries and all 50 states. Its methodology employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. The 24th edition of The Best Lawyers in America highlights the top 5% of practicing attorneys in the United States, based on more than 7.4 million evaluations, recognizing attorneys in 140 practice areas.
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