RICO — "Racketeering Activity" Defined is a federal law that prohibits individuals from engaging in any organized criminal activity. RICO was enacted in 1970 to combat organized crime and has since been used to prosecute individuals and organizations. The law defines racketeering activity broadly, including crimes such as bribery, extortion, fraud, money laundering, drug trafficking, and other illegal activities. The law also covers any act that is "related to" the activities listed above. RICO is divided into two types of racketeering activity: predicate offenses and “patterns of racketeering activity.” Predicate offenses are specific criminal acts, such as bribery or fraud, that are prohibited by federal law. “Patterns of racketeering activity” are defined by the law as two or more predicate offenses that are related and that are committed within a 10-year period. In order to be convicted of RICO violations, the accused individual or organization must have committed at least two predicate offenses and must have acted as part of an ongoing criminal enterprise.