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Opinion of the Court
ing "employ"). In addition, the Act's purposes are consistent with that principle. Whether the Act seeks to prevent a person from victimizing, say, a small business, S. Rep. No. 91-617, p. 77 (1969), or to prevent a person from using a corporation for criminal purposes, National Organization for Women, Inc. v. Scheidler, 510 U. S. 249, 259 (1994), the person and the victim, or the person and the tool, are different entities, not the same.
The Government reads § 1962(c) "to require some distinctness between the RICO defendant and the RICO enterprise." Brief for United States as Amicus Curiae 11. And it says that this requirement is "legally sound and workable." Ibid. We agree with its assessment, particularly in light of the fact that 12 Courts of Appeals have interpreted the statute as embodying some such distinctness requirement without creating discernible mischief in the administration of RICO. See St. Paul Mercury Ins. Co. v. Williamson, 224 F. 3d 425, 445 (CA5 2000); United States v. Goldin Industries, Inc., 219 F. 3d 1268, 1270 (CA11) (en banc), cert. denied, 531 U. S. 1102 (2000); Begala v. PNC Bank, 214 F. 3d 776, 781 (CA6 2000), cert. denied, 531 U. S. 1145 (2001); Doyle v. Hasbro, Inc., 103 F. 3d 186, 190 (CA1 1996); Richmond, supra, at 646-647; Gasoline Sales, Inc. v. Aero Oil Co., 39 F. 3d 70, 72-73 (CA3 1994); Confederate Memorial Assn., Inc. v. Hines, 995 F. 2d 295, 299-300 (CADC 1993); Board of Cty. Comm'rs, San Juan Cty. v. Liberty Group, 965 F. 2d 879, 885 (CA10), cert. denied, 506 U. S. 918 (1992); River City Markets, Inc. v. Fleming Foods West, Inc., 960 F. 2d 1458, 1461 (CA9 1992); Busby v. Crown Supply, Inc., 896 F. 2d 833, 840 (CA4 1990); Atlas Pile Driving Co. v. DiCon Financial Co., 886 F. 2d 986, 995 (CA8 1989); Bennett v. United States Trust Co. of New York, 770 F. 2d 308, 315, and n. 2 (CA2 1985), cert. denied, 474 U. S. 1058 (1986); see also Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co. v. Samsung Electronics Co., 204 F. 3d 1368, 1383, n. 7 (CA Fed. 2000) (approving of distinctness requirement in dicta), cert.
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