The company admitted to altering required water test samples so they met the limits set by their permit
before releasing the waste into the city’s sewer system. The company also admitted to transporting waste that
contained benzene, barium, chromium, cadmium, lead, PCE, and trichloroethene for disposal in South Carolina
without the required reporting of the information, which also violated environmental laws.
Figure 5.3
White collar crimes are generally motivated by the desire to maintain or gain financial status.
(Credit: TheDigitalWay/ pixabay/ License: CC0)
Other Types of Business Crime
The business environment is complex, and some crimes are less common or receive less media attention.
These types of crimes include those that violate antitrust laws, racketeering, bribery, money laundering, and
spamming.
Violations of Antitrust Laws
Antitrust laws do not allow activities that restrain trade or promote market domination. These laws are in
place to provide guidance and supervision of mergers and acquisitions of companies to prevent market abuse.
The goal is to avoid monopolies, or the control of one organization over a specific market. Monopolies reduce
competition and, as a result, can have a detrimental impact on consumer prices. Since the United States is
founded on capitalist principles, anti-competitive business conduct is prohibited by law, and some of those
laws, such as the Sherman Antitrust Act, do include provisions about criminal punishment.
Racketeering
Racketeering activities include loan-sharking, money laundering, and blackmailing. In the past, the term has
been used to describe organized crime. The term is now applied to other entities, as well. RICO, or the
Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, is a federal law aimed at preventing and prosecuting by
both businesses and organized crime syndicates. “RICO is now used against insurance companies, stock
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Chapter 5 Criminal Liability
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