The Florida Senate

895.02  Definitions.--As used in ss. 895.01-895.08, the term:

(1)  "Racketeering activity" means to commit, to attempt to commit, to conspire to commit, or to solicit, coerce, or intimidate another person to commit:

(a)  Any crime which is chargeable by indictment or information under the following provisions of the Florida Statutes:

1.  Section 210.18, relating to evasion of payment of cigarette taxes.

2.  Section 403.727(3)(b), relating to environmental control.

3.  Section 414.39, relating to public assistance fraud.

4.  Section 409.920, relating to Medicaid provider fraud.

5.  Section 440.105 or s. 440.106, relating to workers' compensation.

6.  Sections 499.0051, 499.0052, 499.0053, ¹499.0054, and 499.0691, relating to crimes involving contraband and adulterated drugs.

7.  Part IV of chapter 501, relating to telemarketing.

8.  Chapter 517, relating to sale of securities and investor protection.

9.  Section 550.235, s. 550.3551, or s. 550.3605, relating to dogracing and horseracing.

10.  Chapter 550, relating to jai alai frontons.

11.  Chapter 552, relating to the manufacture, distribution, and use of explosives.

12.  Chapter 560, relating to money transmitters, if the violation is punishable as a felony.

13.  Chapter 562, relating to beverage law enforcement.

14.  Section 624.401, relating to transacting insurance without a certificate of authority, s. 624.437(4)(c)1., relating to operating an unauthorized multiple-employer welfare arrangement, or s. 626.902(1)(b), relating to representing or aiding an unauthorized insurer.

15.  Section 655.50, relating to reports of currency transactions, when such violation is punishable as a felony.

16.  Chapter 687, relating to interest and usurious practices.

17.  Section 721.08, s. 721.09, or s. 721.13, relating to real estate timeshare plans.

18.  Chapter 782, relating to homicide.

19.  Chapter 784, relating to assault and battery.

20.  Chapter 787, relating to kidnapping.

21.  Chapter 790, relating to weapons and firearms.

22.  Section 796.03, s. 796.04, s. 796.05, or s. 796.07, relating to prostitution.

23.  Chapter 806, relating to arson.

24.  Section 810.02(2)(c), relating to specified burglary of a dwelling or structure.

25.  Chapter 812, relating to theft, robbery, and related crimes.

26.  Chapter 815, relating to computer-related crimes.

27.  Chapter 817, relating to fraudulent practices, false pretenses, fraud generally, and credit card crimes.

28.  Chapter 825, relating to abuse, neglect, or exploitation of an elderly person or disabled adult.

29.  Section 827.071, relating to commercial sexual exploitation of children.

30.  Chapter 831, relating to forgery and counterfeiting.

31.  Chapter 832, relating to issuance of worthless checks and drafts.

32.  Section 836.05, relating to extortion.

33.  Chapter 837, relating to perjury.

34.  Chapter 838, relating to bribery and misuse of public office.

35.  Chapter 843, relating to obstruction of justice.

36.  Section 847.011, s. 847.012, s. 847.013, s. 847.06, or s. 847.07, relating to obscene literature and profanity.

37.  Section 849.09, s. 849.14, s. 849.15, s. 849.23, or s. 849.25, relating to gambling.

38.  Chapter 874, relating to criminal street gangs.

39.  Chapter 893, relating to drug abuse prevention and control.

40.  Chapter 896, relating to offenses related to financial transactions.

41.  Sections 914.22 and 914.23, relating to tampering with a witness, victim, or informant, and retaliation against a witness, victim, or informant.

42.  Sections 918.12 and 918.13, relating to tampering with jurors and evidence.

(b)  Any conduct defined as "racketeering activity" under 18 U.S.C. s. 1961(1).

(2)  "Unlawful debt" means any money or other thing of value constituting principal or interest of a debt that is legally unenforceable in this state in whole or in part because the debt was incurred or contracted:

(a)  In violation of any one of the following provisions of law:

1.  Section 550.235, s. 550.3551, or s. 550.3605, relating to dogracing and horseracing.

2.  Chapter 550, relating to jai alai frontons.

3.  Chapter 687, relating to interest and usury.

4.  Section 849.09, s. 849.14, s. 849.15, s. 849.23, or s. 849.25, relating to gambling.

(b)  In gambling activity in violation of federal law or in the business of lending money at a rate usurious under state or federal law.

(3)  "Enterprise" means any individual, sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, business trust, union chartered under the laws of this state, or other legal entity, or any unchartered union, association, or group of individuals associated in fact although not a legal entity; and it includes illicit as well as licit enterprises and governmental, as well as other, entities. A criminal street gang, as defined in s. 874.03, constitutes an enterprise.

(4)  "Pattern of racketeering activity" means engaging in at least two incidents of racketeering conduct that have the same or similar intents, results, accomplices, victims, or methods of commission or that otherwise are interrelated by distinguishing characteristics and are not isolated incidents, provided at least one of such incidents occurred after the effective date of this act and that the last of such incidents occurred within 5 years after a prior incident of racketeering conduct.

(5)  "Documentary material" means any book, paper, document, writing, drawing, graph, chart, photograph, phonorecord, magnetic tape, computer printout, other data compilation from which information can be obtained or from which information can be translated into usable form, or other tangible item.

(6)  "RICO lien notice" means the notice described in s. 895.05(12) or in s. 895.07

(7)  "Investigative agency" means the Department of Legal Affairs, the Office of Statewide Prosecution, or the office of a state attorney.

(8)  "Beneficial interest" means any of the following:

(a)  The interest of a person as a beneficiary under a trust established pursuant to s. 689.07 or s. 689.071 in which the trustee for the trust holds legal or record title to real property;

(b)  The interest of a person as a beneficiary under any other trust arrangement pursuant to which a trustee holds legal or record title to real property for the benefit of such person; or

(c)  The interest of a person under any other form of express fiduciary arrangement pursuant to which any other person holds legal or record title to real property for the benefit of such person.

The term "beneficial interest" does not include the interest of a stockholder in a corporation or the interest of a partner in either a general partnership or a limited partnership. A beneficial interest shall be deemed to be located where the real property owned by the trustee is located.

(9)  "Real property" means any real property or any interest in such real property, including, but not limited to, any lease of or mortgage upon such real property.

(10)  "Trustee" means any of the following:

(a)  Any person acting as trustee pursuant to a trust established under s. 689.07 or s. 689.071 in which the trustee holds legal or record title to real property.

(b)  Any person who holds legal or record title to real property in which any other person has a beneficial interest.

(c)  Any successor trustee or trustees to any or all of the foregoing persons.

However, the term "trustee" does not include any person appointed or acting as a personal representative as defined in s. 731.201(25) or appointed or acting as a trustee of any testamentary trust or as a trustee of any indenture of trust under which any bonds have been or are to be issued.

(11)  "Criminal proceeding" means any criminal proceeding commenced by an investigative agency under s. 895.03 or any other provision of the Florida RICO Act.

(12)  "Civil proceeding" means any civil proceeding commenced by an investigative agency under s. 895.05 or any other provision of the Florida RICO Act.

History.--s. 2, ch. 77-334; s. 3, ch. 79-218; s. 300, ch. 79-400; s. 1, ch. 81-141; s. 1, ch. 83-65; s. 25, ch. 83-264; s. 2, ch. 84-9; s. 5, ch. 86-277; s. 1, ch. 87-139; s. 5, ch. 89-143; s. 2, ch. 90-246; s. 3, ch. 90-301; s. 13, ch. 91-33; s. 72, ch. 91-282; s. 4, ch. 92-125; s. 4, ch. 92-281; s. 65, ch. 92-348; s. 2, ch. 93-227; s. 106, ch. 93-415; s. 78, ch. 94-209; s. 91, ch. 95-211; s. 9, ch. 95-340; s. 107, ch. 96-175; s. 7, ch. 96-252; s. 5, ch. 96-260; s. 4, ch. 96-280; s. 7, ch. 96-387; s. 43, ch. 96-388; s. 2, ch. 97-78; s. 2, ch. 99-335; s. 17, ch. 2000-360; s. 31, ch. 2003-155.

¹Note.--Redesignated as s. 499.00545 by the reviser incident to compiling the 2003 Florida Statutes.

Note.--Former s. 943.461.