Humane Society Agrees to Settle Racketeering Lawsuit Against Ringling Bros Circus

On Thursday, May 15th, the Humane Society of the United States has agreed to settle a lawsuit filed 14 years ago against Feld Entertainment, the parent company of Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus, for $15.75 million. In retaliation, Feld filed a racketeering lawsuit against the animal rights groups.

The Humane Society, along with other animal rights groups, filed a lawsuit against the entertainment company primarily because of unsubstantiated charges that circus abused its performing animals, especially Asian elephants. Feld Entertainment then filed a civil lawsuit against the collective of animal rights groups, accusing them of racketeering, a serious federal violation usually used to take mobsters and gang members to trial.

Reportedly, Feld filed the case after learning that the collective paid $200,000 to Tom Rider, a former elephant feeder and cleaner, who accused Ringling Bros of abusing its elephants, which violates the Endangered Species Act.

“This historic case has exposed the despicable tactics of the Humane Society of the United States and other animal rights fanatics, and the settlement sends a message they will be held accountable for their actions,” says Will Coggin, senior research analyst for the Center for Consumer Freedom. “Most troubling is that this settlement will be paid with donations intended to help animals.”

“The fact that we could get dragged through this for 14 years … I think it is very clearly a public vindication for our company that these people really misused the judicial system,” Feld said in a statement.

The initial lawsuit was filed by the HSUS in 2000, and after years of pretrial rounds, a judge rejected the abuse claims in 2009. Just prior, in 2007, Feld uncovered evidence that the key plaintiff in the HSUS’s case had been paid to bring his accusations to light, so Feld filed a racketeering lawsuit against the HSUS.

The $15.75 million racketeering settlement agreement is in addition to a different agreement between Feld and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for $9 million.

What is Racketeering?

RICO charges involve the operation of an illegal business or enterprise, including a fraudulent scams, for an individual or entity’s personal profit.

The federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) and similar state racketeering laws give the government a tremendous amount of power to go after those accused of racketeering.

The racketeering act is broad and covers a variety of white collar crimes including:

• murder,
• the transportation and distribution of drugs,
• gambling,
• embezzlement,
• extortion,
• theft/armed robbery,
• money laundering, and
• bribery

The Strom Law Firm Can Help with Racketeering and Other RICO Charges

Being arrested or investigated for federal criminal charges can be very stressful. However, just because you are under a great deal of pressure does not mean that you are automatically guilty, or that you have no rights in court. For experienced RICO and federal criminal charges defense attorneys who will fight for your rights and work to have your charges reduced or even dismissed, contact the attorneys at the Strom Law Firm, today. We offer free, confidential consultations so that you can discuss the facts of your case with impunity, in a safe environment. Do not hesitate to contact us. 803.252.4800.