In recent months, more and more rappers have been indicted for violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. Several artists, including Young Thug, Kay Flock, Casanova, Fetty Wap and others have been accused of murder, narcotics trafficking and other criminal activities under this statute.
A RICO is a federal law that was primarily used in the 1970s to fight against organized crime in the U.S. The law prohibits individuals or an organization from participating in organized criminal acts as part of an ongoing criminal enterprise aka a gang or a mob. Those criminal offenses could include murder, money laundering, robbery, acts of terrorism and more. To convict a person of a crime under RICO, prosecutors must prove two or more instances of racketeering that occurred within a 10-year time span.
For example, Young Thug is currently dealing with a serious RICO case against him. On May 9, 2022, Young Thug, Gunna and 26 YSL associates were arrested in a sweeping racketeering case that shocked the Atlanta hip-hop community. Fulton County prosecutors have accused Thug of being a leader of a gang that has allegedly triggered 50 acts of murder. Thugger and several of his co-defendants are currently on trial, which is expected to continue well into 2023.
Many RICO cases involve a variety of criminal offenses including murder to interstate drug trafficking to even prostitution. Rappers who have been hit with RICO charges in the past include Bobby Shmurda and 6ix9ine, among others.
In the wake of so many artists under criminal investigations, XXL decided to dive in and explore rappers who are currently dealing with RICO cases below.
See Rappers Currently Dealing With RICO Cases
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