Source: Getty / Sean “P Diddy” Combs
Famous People Who Beat RICO Charges
Sean “Diddy” Combs just dodged the biggest legal bullet of his life. In a ruling that dropped today, he was cleared of federal racketeering and sex trafficking charges tied to a sweeping RICO case. He was convicted on lesser counts, but the racketeering charge was the headline. And now, he joins a very exclusive group: public figures who’ve managed to beat the feds on RICO.
If that sounds rare, it is. The RICO Act was designed to dismantle organized crime and criminal enterprises. Once the government charges you under RICO, they’ve usually spent years building the case. That’s why beating it is such a tall order—and why it’s national news when someone walks.
Diddy’s not the first, though. Murder Inc. co-founder Irv Gotti beat federal money-laundering and RICO charges tied to drug money. So did John Gotti, the so-called “Teflon Don,” who beat multiple RICO trials before his eventual conviction.
You’ve also got names like Jackie DiNorscio, a mob figure who famously represented himself in court—and won. And in the world of hip-hop, 6ix9ine avoided full conviction by flipping, taking a plea deal, and testifying.
Whether it’s music, mob ties, or viral trials, RICO cases make headlines because they’re built to stick. But these 10 figures all found ways—some clean, some controversial—to walk away. And yes, Diddy’s name now sits on that list.
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10 Famous Figures Who Beat RICO Charges — Including Diddy was originally published on newstalkcleveland.com
1. Irv Gotti
The Murder Inc. co-founder and music producer was acquitted of federal money‑laundering and RICO-style charges in 2005.
2. John Gotti
The infamous Gambino crime boss was acquitted of RICO and conspiracy charges in 1987, earning the nickname “Teflon Don”.
3. Sonny Barger
Hells Angels founding member was tried under RICO in 1979 but acquitted due to insufficient evidence.
4. DJ Drama
DJ Drama and Don Cannon were hit with RICO charges in 2007 after an Atlanta raid seized over 80,000 mixtapes. But remarkably, they beat the charges and never served prison time.
5. Young Thug
Young Thug avoided a full RICO conviction in late 2024—his co-defendants were acquitted after the longest criminal racketeering trial in Georgia, and he walked free under a plea deal with time served and probation.
6. Tekashi 6ix9ine
Charged under RICO, he avoided racketeering conviction by pleading guilty and cooperating with prosecutors.
7. Harry Aleman
Chicago mobster famously acquitted of murder in a corrupt trial, though later convicted—his 1978 RICO conviction was separate and serves as a rare acquittal reversal case.
8. Joseph “Jackie” DiNorscio
Joseph “Jackie” DiNorscio acted as his own lawyer in the longest federal RICO trial in U.S. history and won—securing acquittals for himself and 19 co-defendants in 1988.
9. Michael “Mikey Cigars” Coppola
Former Lucchese crime family member acquitted in 2009 on RICO-related murder charges (though later convicted separately).
10. Sean “Diddy” Combs
Partially cleared: acquitted of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges, convicted on lesser prostitution counts in 2025.
