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Date: April 30, 2024 Tue
Time: 1:36 am
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Results for racketeering
6 results foundAuthor: TRANSCRIME Title: Study on Extortion Racketeering - The Need for an Instrument to Combat Activities of Organised Crime Summary: This final report covers all the activities concerning the Study on “Extortion Racketeering – The need for an instrument to combat activities of Organised Crime” awarded to Transcrime by the European Commission. In continuity with the conclusions of the “Seminar on Counteraction of Extortion Racketeering” held in Frascati (Italy) on 8-10 March 2007 organised by the Italian Ministries of Justice and the Interior, within the framework of the AGIS programme, this study intends to assess the magnitude of the problem of extortion racketeering in the EU MS and if and how it should be tackled. There are two different types of extortion racketeering (systemic and casual) linked to three main variables: the organisational structure of the criminal crime group that engages in extortion racketeering; its strong presence at local territorial level; and the victim-offender relationship. These three variables are reciprocally related: the more the organised crime group focuses its activity on the local territory, being facilitated by its monopolistic position and hierarchical structure, the more it conducts criminal transactions with politicians and administrators, the more it infiltrates legitimate business, the more extortion becomes systemic (spreads and continues), and in becoming systemic provides more resources and closer control over the territory, the more criminals establish symbiotic relationship with the victims and the more the legitimate economy is infiltrated. Generally speaking, the more OC groups act at transnational level, and the more they develop network organisational structures the less they will be able to control systematically a territory, the less extortion they use and, when they do so, it is casual. This explains why EU MS have substantive differences in the presence of extortion. After pointing out similarities and differences in extortion racketeering among the EU MS (in the phenomenon and in the legislation and other practices), this study identifies the common elements that may help to increase the effectiveness of existing instruments, and it suggests recommendations that could be adopted at EU level and addressed to MS. To this end, this study: 1) frames the problem of extortion racketeering in the EU Agenda (Chapter 1); 2) outlines how extortion racketeering has developed in EU MS, the main forms of regulation of the phenomenon and the countermeasures (Chapter 2 and 3); 3) analyses the differing magnitude of the phenomenon across EU MS in light of the similarities and differences previously outlined, pointing out where the gaps are and where further action is needed (Chapter 4 and 5); 4) develops the index of relevance in the media in order to explain the social construction of the phenomeno in the EU Ms (Chapter 6); 5) summarizes the main findings (Chapter 7); and 6) identifies reccommendations (legislative and practices) which may be adopted at European and national level (Chapter 8). Details: Trento, Italy: TRANSCRIME, 2010. 297p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 2, 2010 at: http://www.securitytransformation.org/images/documentos/420_Study_on_extortion_racketeering_Final_Report.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Europe URL: http://www.securitytransformation.org/images/documentos/420_Study_on_extortion_racketeering_Final_Report.pdf Shelf Number: 120162 Keywords: ExtortionOrganized CrimeRacketeering |
Author: Cloud, Morgan Title: Law Deans in Jail Summary: A most unlikely collection of suspects - law schools, their deans, U.S. News & World Report and its employees - may have committed felonies by publishing false information as part of U.S. News' ranking of law schools. The possible federal felonies include mail and wire fraud, conspiracy, racketeering, and making false statements. Employees of law schools and U.S. News who committed these crimes can be punished as individuals, and under federal law the schools and U.S. News would likely be criminally liable for their agents' crimes. Some law schools and their deans submitted false information about the schools' expenditures and their students' undergraduate grades and LSAT scores. Others submitted information that may have been literally true but was misleading. Examples include misleading statistics about recent graduates' employment rates and students' undergraduate grades and LSAT scores. U.S. News itself may have committed mail and wire fraud. It has republished, and sold for profit, data submitted by law schools without verifying the data's accuracy, despite being aware that at least some schools were submitting false and misleading data. U.S. News refused to correct incorrect data and rankings errors and continued to sell that information even after individual schools confessed that they had submitted false information. In addition, U.S. News marketed its surveys and rankings as valid although they were riddled with fundamental methodological errors. Details: Social Science Research Network, 2012. 77p. Source: Working Paper: Internet Resource: Accessed March 9, 2012 at http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/Delivery.cfm/SSRN_ID2014157_code33010.pdf?abstractid=1990746&mirid=1 Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/Delivery.cfm/SSRN_ID2014157_code33010.pdf?abstractid=1990746&mirid=1 Shelf Number: 124396 Keywords: Colleges and UniversitiesEducationFraudMail FraudRacketeeringWire Fraud |
Author: Simpson, Dick Title: Chicago and Illinois, Leading the Pack in Corruption Summary: For a century and a half, public corruption has been a shameful aspect of both Illinois and Chicago politics. The Governor's mansion and Chicago City Council Chambers have long been the epicenters of public corruption. The extent and pervasiveness of bribery, fraud, stealing from the taxpayers, and illegal patronage have made the city and state national leaders of corruption. Our notorious reputations have provided fodder for scores of comedians and late night talk show hosts. But corruption is a serious problem that hurts all citizens who put their trust - and tax dollars - in the hands of politicians who abuse the power they are given. New public corruption conviction data from the U.S. Department of Justice shows the Chicago metropolitan region has been the most corrupt area in the country since 1976. In addition, the data reveal that Illinois is the third most corrupt state in the nation. The latest information, just released by the Justice Department, provides new evidence of the need for reforms to reduce rampant corruption in Chicago and Illinois. Since 1970, four Illinois governors have been convicted of corruption. Yet only seven men have held this office in this time, meaning more than half of the state's governors have been convicted in the past forty-two years. Otto Kerner, who served from 1961 until his resignation in 1968 to accept a federal judgeship, was convicted in 1973 of mail fraud, bribery, perjury, and income tax evasion while governor. Dan Walker, who served from 1973 - 1977, was convicted in 1987 of obtaining fraudulent loans for the business he operated after he left office. George Ryan, who served from 1999 - 2003, was found guilty in 2006 of racketeering, conspiracy and numerous other charges. Many of the charges were part of a huge scandal, later called "Licenses for Bribes," which resulted in the conviction of more than 40 state workers and private citizens. The scandal involved unqualified truck drivers receiving licenses in exchange for bribes that would ultimately end up in Ryan's campaign fund. The scandal came to light when a recipient of one of these licenses crashed in to a van and killed six children. But perhaps the most famous of all Illinois corrupt officials is Rod Blagojevich, who served from 2003 until his impeachment in 2009. Blagojevich was ultimately convicted in 2011 of trying to sell the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama. Other charges included his attempting to shake down Children's Memorial Hospital for a campaign contribution in return for funding and his trying to extort a racetrack owner. Not to be outdone, the City of Chicago has seen its share of convicted officials. The first conviction of Chicago aldermen and Cook County Commissioners for accepting bribes to rig a crooked contract occurred in1869. Since 1973, 31 more aldermen have been convicted of corruption. Approximately 100 aldermen have served since then, which is a conviction rate of about one-third. In 1973 and 1974, four aldermen were convicted of bribery, income tax evasion and mail fraud in a scandal involving zoning changes. In the 1980s, three aldermen pleaded guilty or were found guilty in Operation Incubator, a major FBI investigation into Chicago corruption. The convictions included bribery, racketeering, extortion, mail fraud and tax evasion. Less than 10 years later, seven more aldermen were convicted as part of Operation Silver Shovel, another major FBI investigation into corruption in Chicago in the 1990s. Between 1996 and 1999 these seven were convicted of bribery, money laundering, fraud and tax evasion. Details: Chicago: University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Political Science and the Illinois Integrity Initiative of the University of Illinois Institute for Government and Public Affairs, 2012. 17p. Source: Internet Resource: Anti-Corruption Report No. 5: Accessed August 27, 2015 at: http://pols.uic.edu/docs/default-source/chicago_politics/anti-corruption_reports/leadingthepack.pdf?sfvrsn=2 Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://pols.uic.edu/docs/default-source/chicago_politics/anti-corruption_reports/leadingthepack.pdf?sfvrsn=2 Shelf Number: 136601 Keywords: BribesCorruptionExtortionRacketeeringTax Evasion |
Author: Center for the Study of Democracy Title: Extortion Racketeering in the EU: Vulnerability Factors Summary: Extortion racketeering has been long pointed out as the defining activity of organised crime. Although in recent years this crime has not been among the top listed organised crime threats in the strategic EU policy documents, it still remains ever present in European countries. The seriousness of the phenomenon has been recognised at the EU level and the crime has been listed in a number of EU legal acts in the field of police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters. The report Extortion Racketeering in the EU: A six country study of vulnerability factors analyses extortion racketeering forms and practices in six EU member states. The analysis disentangles the risk and the vulnerability factors for enterprises in two business sectors - agriculture and hospitality - as well as in the Chinese communities. Drawing on the results of the analysis, the report suggests new policies for tackling extortion racketeering in the EU. This report has been produced with the joint efforts of the Center for the Study of Democracy, Instituto de Ciencias Forenses y de la Seguridad - Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Transcrime - Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore di Milano and Vitosha Research and with the support of Guardia Civil in Spain. Details: Sofia, Bulgaria: Center for the Study of Democracy, 2016. 351p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 13, 2016: http://www.csd.bg/artShow.php?id=17701 Year: 2016 Country: Europe URL: http://www.csd.bg/artShow.php?id=17701 Shelf Number: 139413 Keywords: ExtortionOrganized CrimeRacketeering |
Author: Center for the Study of Democracy Title: Extortion Racketeering: The Vulnerability Assessment Approach Summary: → Extortion racketeering is a latent form of crime, infamous for the low rates of reporting by the victims, which result in authorities being unaware of the real scale of the problem in their country. → The typical law enforcement approach is to investigate extortion incidents only when a victim files a report, whereas more pro-active policing and victim-focused prevention and support measures are needed in order to effectively tackle this type of crime. → Sector vulnerability assessments could help government authorities to identify, assess and hence understand the risks related to extortion of businesses in a given economic sector. → The vulnerability approach emphasises the examination of opportunities provided to organised crime groups by legitimate business and the broader socio-economic environment. → The assessment of the vulnerabilities to extortion of specific sectors and social groups is a useful tool that can facilitate prevention and investigation of extortion racketeering through enhanced deterrence and detection. → Vulnerability assessments aim at: a) ensuring better allocation of resources by competent authorities; b) informing the design of specific new policies or legislative measures; c) evaluating and adjusting administrative regulations or criminal justice tools and thus making them pertinent to the identified risks. Details: Sophia: Center for the Study of Democracy, 2016. 8p. Source: Internet Resource: Policy Brief No. 63: Accessed September 18, 2017 at: http://www.csd.bg/artShow.php?id=17788 Year: 2016 Country: Bulgaria URL: http://www.csd.bg/artShow.php?id=17788 Shelf Number: 147372 Keywords: Extortion Organized Crime Racketeering |
Author: Arias, Enrique Desmond Title: Getting Smart and Scaling Up: The Impact of Organized Crime on Governance in Developing Countries: A Desk Study of Jamaica Summary: In May 2010, former Prime Minister Bruce Golding ordered Jamaican security forces to invade the neighborhoods of Denham Town and Tivoli Gardens in Kingston, Jamaica's capital, to execute an arrest warrant for Christopher "Dudus" Coke, the local "don." Coke was the head of the infamous Shower Posse, a gang that controlled sizable portions of organized crime activity on the island and was accused by the United States government of drug trafficking and racketeering. Gangsters from around the Kingston area converged on these neighborhoods in an effort to protect Coke who ran a sizable and complex criminal operation in his zone of control and who had important connections to other local criminal organizations. Residents of the community had turned out several days before to demand the government give up its efforts to bring Coke to justice. Faced with considerable and well-organized armed opposition Golding warned residents to evacuate. On May 28th, troops entered the area and carried out a brutal operation killing some 70 residents, the majority of who had no connections to criminal groups whatsoever. These events represented the culmination of eight months of intense political and diplomatic wrangling following a request by the United States government for Coke's extradition. The Golding government had done everything in its power and more to avoid arresting Coke, including hiring a US-based law firm to lobby the Obama Administration to withdraw its request. When Golding's attempt to evade Jamaica's international treaty obligations came to light, the country's political establishment shuddered. Golding resigned as leader of the Jamaica Labor Party (JLP), potentially opening the door to new elections. His party, however, refused to accept his resignation and the administration staggered onwards. The US government found innovative ways to pressure his government, including cancelling the US visa of prominent JLP supporters, thereby creating significant business difficulties and embarrassment for a portion of the Jamaican elite. Ultimately, the violent military incursion into Kingston Western was unsuccessful in that Coke managed to escape. But with no place to hide, he soon surrendered and was extradited to the US He pled guilty to racketeering charges in a New York court and in June 2012 received a maximum prison sentence of 23 years. Golding, on the other hand, offered exemption from persecution to other prominent gang leaders across Kingston in exchange for relative peace. Lower violence rates in late 2010 and early 2011 testify to those arrangements. There is little reason to believe that violence rates will remain at lower levels without more decisive action on the part of the state. Yet, in the political arena, efforts to address the intimate ties between miscreants and government officials have been scant. The only powerful figure to suffer from the Coke debacle was Attorney General and Justice Minister Dorothy Lightbourne who was forced to step down. Still, for all its ignominiousness, the intervention of Bruce Golding provides useful insight into the complex relationship between organized crime and the Jamaican political system. This paper explores why Golding risked his own political career and created difficulties for his prominent supporters to prevent the arrest of a thug running a criminal operation in one of the poorest areas of Kingston. It offers a detailed account of the nature of organized crime in Jamaica and the process through which those political-criminal relationships evolved. The paper is organized as follows: the first section discusses the regional, political, institutional, and social context. It provides an overview of four major phases marking the political-criminal relationship in urban Jamaica before turning to the prevalent norms of behavior such as widespread political corruption that have nurtured organized criminal activity and cemented political-criminal relationships in Jamaica over several decades. With the political-criminal nexus as a backdrop, Section II analyzes the nature of organized crime in Jamaica, with specific emphasis on racketeering and drug trafficking. Section III sheds some light on the impact of organized crime on governance, with a particular focus on state legitimacy and provision of basic services. The final section puts forward a series of recommendations for responding to the impact of organized crime on governance in Jamaica. Details: New York: New York University Center on International Cooperation, 2013. 22p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 13, 2018 at: https://cic.nyu.edu/sites/default/files/kavanagh_crime_developing_countries_jamaica_study.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Jamaica URL: https://cic.nyu.edu/sites/default/files/kavanagh_crime_developing_countries_jamaica_study.pdf Shelf Number: 151112 Keywords: Developing Countries Drug Trafficking Organized Crime Political Corruption Racketeering |