Benesch’s White Collar Team Achieves Full Dismissal in $25M Federal RICO Lawsuit

Benesch is pleased to announce a significant win for its clients, Advanced Inventory Management (AIM), and its owner, Anthony Iaderosa, in the Northern District of Illinois. The firm’s White Collar, Government Investigations & Regulatory Compliance Practice Group achieved the full dismissal of a high-stakes federal RICO lawsuit, protecting our clients against aggressive and unfounded claims.

The lawsuit, filed by plaintiff John Webb, named multiple defendants, including AIM, Iaderosa and associates. Webb claimed that between 2013 and 2016, he gambled approximately $17 million on an online sportsbook controlled by the defendants and alleged that he was owed $516,000 in unpaid winnings. Webb sought $25 million in damages, bringing claims under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act and alleging a pattern of racketeering activity.

Benesch successfully argued that the claims lacked a solid legal basis. The court agreed, ruling that Webb failed to demonstrate a cognizable injury under RICO and did not establish a sufficient pattern of racketeering activity. As a result, the court granted Benesch’s motion to dismiss all claims, protecting the firm’s clients from potentially severe financial and reputational harm.

“This ruling reinforces the high bar required to sustain a RICO claim and prevents plaintiffs from using it as a catch-all tool in commercial disputes,” said Chris Grohman, lead partner on the case. “We’re pleased with the outcome and proud to have successfully defended our clients against these serious but unsubstantiated allegations.”

The Benesch team was led by Partner Chris Grohman and supported by Ryan Levitt and Robert Kolansky.