United States v. Turkette

Turkette (defendant) and twelve associates ran a narcotics distribution network and were indicted under RICO. Turkette argued RICO's "enterprise" element applies only to legitimate businesses, not to groups that exist solely to commit crimes. The court of appeals agreed and vacated his conviction. The Supreme Court granted certiorari to decide whether RICO reaches purely criminal enterprises.

Whether the term "enterprise" in the RICO statute encompasses a group of individuals associated only for an illegal purpose, or is limited to legitimate businesses.