Legal Definitions - rat

In a legal or criminal context, the term rat is a slang expression used to describe an individual who secretly provides information to law enforcement or other authorities about the illegal activities of their associates, colleagues, or co-conspirators. This act of informing is often done in exchange for leniency, protection, financial reward, or to avoid personal punishment.

Here are some examples illustrating this term:

• Example 1: Organized Crime Informant
  A low-ranking member of an organized crime syndicate, facing a lengthy prison sentence for a serious offense, agrees to cooperate with federal prosecutors. The individual secretly provides detailed information about the syndicate's leadership, drug trafficking routes, and money laundering operations, leading to multiple arrests and indictments of their former associates.

  This individual is considered a "rat" because they are betraying their criminal organization by secretly disclosing sensitive information to the authorities in exchange for a potential reduction in their own sentence.

• Example 2: Corporate Whistleblower
  An employee within a large corporation discovers that their department has been systematically defrauding clients by overbilling for services never rendered. Fearing repercussions but unwilling to participate in the illegal scheme, the employee anonymously contacts a regulatory agency, providing internal documents and recordings that expose the fraudulent practices of their superiors and colleagues.

  In this scenario, from the perspective of the fraudulent company and its involved employees, the whistleblower would be labeled a "rat" for secretly exposing their illicit activities to an external authority.

• Example 3: Drug Trafficking Cooperation
  After a major drug bust, one of the arrested individuals, who was part of a larger distribution network, decides to turn state's evidence. They provide police with the names, addresses, and operational details of other members of the drug ring, including their suppliers and major buyers, hoping to receive a lighter sentence or witness protection.

  This person is acting as a "rat" by informing on their fellow drug traffickers to the police, revealing confidential information about the criminal enterprise to benefit themselves.