Русско-англо-русский юридический словарь

In the criminal law of the United States, a predicate crime or offense is a crime which is a component of a larger crime. The larger crime may be racketeering, money laundering, financing of terrorism, etc. (Wikipedia)

A "Predicate Offense" is the foundation for a complicated criminal activity, and it’s usually the preliminary illegal act that generates funds for subsequent crimes. (AML Watcher)