Racketeering isn't a crime that most people hear much about outside of crime dramas—but it's recently been in the news on the west coast, as alleged murderer Raymond “Shrimp Boy” Chow takes the stand in San Francisco.

Chow, who is now being tried for murder, was previously involved in a racketeering charge against former state Senator Leland Yee—but many casual readers might be wondering: What does "racketeering" even entail?

What Does Racketeering Mean?

In its simplest form, racketeering refers to unauthorized or illegal business activity, often run by crime groups or syndicates. Racketeering may also refer to unauthorized business being operated within a legitimate business for the purposes of extortion.

These illegal businesses are known as "rackets," and running them can come with serious legal penalties.

Most often, a racket offers a "solution" (for large sums of money) to a problem the racket, itself, has created. For example, a racket may tell a business owner that for a sum of money, they can make sure the business is protected—when the only threat being posed to the business comes from the racket.

In other instances, though, racketeering may refer to other illicit business practices, as was the case with one of Seattle's most famous racketeering cases; members of the Colacurcio family, for example, were convicted of racketeering when their business practices involved charging exotic dancers just for the use of the stage.

It's Not Always About Organized Crime

However, racketeering can also be more subtle, and may not always deal with behavior that's quite so illicit as drugs or prostitution; in Georgia just this year, 11 teachers were charged with racketeering for changing answers on standardized tests.

Closer to home, racketeering charges were allegedly prepared (but never filed) in 2014 by members of the embattled Mars Hill Church. Citing misappropriation of seed money as the church began proceedings to dissolve, members claimed that the church's founder, Mark Driscoll, had not been truthful about where donation money had been used and spent.

Racketeering used to be very difficult to prosecute, though the process has become more streamlined in the last few decades. Since the 1970s, organized crime such as racketeering and embezzlement have been punished much more severely by courts, as laws have been changed and enacted which directly counter organized crime.

Now known as the RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) Act, legal professionals have a much clearer definition of racketeering—and so do defendants.

If You’ve Been Arrested for Racketeering in Seattle, Contact the Experienced Criminal Defense Lawyers at Baker, Lewis, Schwisow & Laws

The expert defense team at Baker, Lewis, Schwisow & Laws, PLLC vigorously defend the rights of individuals facing a multitude of charges in Seattle, Bellevue, and Kirkland. Contact us today at 206.209.0608 or fill out our online contact form to get more information or to get a free case review!