Opinion ID: 504005
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: introduction

Text: 27 To survive a Rule 12(b)(6) motion, a civil RICO claim must allege (1) the conducting of, (2) an enterprise, (3) through a pattern, (4) of racketeering activity. Marshall-Silver Constr. Co. v. Mendel, 835 F.2d 63, 65 (3d Cir.1987) (citing Sedima, S.P.R.L. v. Imrex Co., 473 U.S. 479, 496, 105 S.Ct. 3275, 3285, 87 L.Ed.2d 346 (1985)). Count III of appellants' complaint alleges that by intimidating appellants with threats of an immediate layoff and by pressuring them into accepting VESP benefits while revealing the development of a second, more generous plan to other employees, C-E engaged in a pattern of racketeering activity in violation of civil RICO, 18 U.S.C. Sec. 1962. C-E challenged the civil RICO count by maintaining that appellants failed to meet the RICO pattern requirement, 18 U.S.C. Sec. 1962. 28 The district court granted C-E's motion to dismiss the RICO claim, impliedly holding that more than one scheme is required to comprise a pattern of racketeering activity: the court concluded that if anything[, appellants] have alleged multiple acts in furtherance of a single scheme. J.A. at 26. On appeal, appellants contend that the district court erred in requiring more than one scheme. C-E makes three arguments in response: (1) that appellants failed to allege fraud with specificity as required under Fed.R.Civ.P. 9(b); (2) that the district court properly dismissed Count III because appellants failed to allege a sufficient civil RICO pattern; and (3) that the complaint was properly dismissed as to C-E, because the company cannot be both an enterprise and a person liable under civil RICO. We consider these contentions in turn.