§875 — Title 18 Crimes and Criminal Procedure | U.S. Code

Summary

Sending a message across state lines or to another country that demands money or a reward to free a kidnapped person is a federal crime. That can bring up to 20 years in prison and fines. Sending threats to kidnap or to hurt someone to try to get money or other value is also punishable by up to 20 years. Sending threats to kidnap or hurt someone without trying to get money can bring up to 5 years. Sending a message across state lines or to another country that, to get money or value, threatens to damage property, harm someone's reputation, or falsely accuse someone of a crime can bring up to 2 years in prison and fines.

Title 18, §875

Crimes and Criminal Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Whoever transmits in interstate or foreign commerce any communication containing any demand or request for a ransom or reward for the release of any kidnapped person, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both.

(b)Whoever, with intent to extort from any person, firm, association, or corporation, any money or other thing of value, transmits in interstate or foreign commerce any communication containing any threat to kidnap any person or any threat to injure the person of another, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both.

(c)Whoever transmits in interstate or foreign commerce any communication containing any threat to kidnap any person or any threat to injure the person of another, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.

(d)Whoever, with intent to extort from any person, firm, association, or corporation, any money or other thing of value, transmits in interstate or foreign commerce any communication containing any threat to injure the property or reputation of the addressee or of another or the reputation of a deceased person or any threat to accuse the addressee or any other person of a crime, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 408d (

May 18, 1934, ch. 300, 48 Stat. 781;

May 15, 1939, ch. 133, § 2, 53 Stat. 743). Provisions as to district of trial were omitted as covered by section 3237 and 3239 of this title. Definition of “interstate commerce” was omitted in conformity with definitive section 10 of this title. Changes were made in phraseology and arrangement.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1994—Subsecs. (a), (b). Pub. L. 103–322, § 330016(1)(K), substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $5,000”. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 103–322, § 330016(1)(H), substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $1,000”. Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 103–322, § 330016(1)(G), substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $500”. 1986—Pub. L. 99–646 inserted “or foreign” after “interstate” wherever appearing.

§875 Interstate communications