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

Summary

It is illegal to knowingly send a letter or package through a foreign country’s post office to someone in the United States, have it actually delivered here, and have it contain certain threats or demands. If the message asks for ransom for a kidnapped person, the sender can be fined or sent to jail for up to 20 years, or both. If the sender intends to extort money and the message threatens to kidnap or hurt someone, the penalty is up to 20 years, or a fine, or both. If the sender knowingly sends a threat to kidnap or hurt someone (without extortion), the penalty is up to 5 years, or a fine, or both. If the sender intends to extort and knowingly sends threats to damage property or reputation (including a dead person) or to accuse someone of a crime, the penalty is up to 2 years, or a fine, or both.

Title 18, §877

Crimes and Criminal Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Whoever knowingly deposits in any post office or authorized depository for mail matter of any foreign country any communication addressed to any person within the United States, for the purpose of having such communication delivered by the post office establishment of such foreign country to the Postal Service and by it delivered to such addressee in the United States, and as a result thereof such communication is delivered by the post office establishment of such foreign country to the Postal Service and by it delivered to the address to which it is directed in the United States, and containing any demand or request for 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. Whoever, with intent to extort from any person any money or other thing of value, so deposits as aforesaid, any communication for the purpose aforesaid, containing any threat to kidnap any person or any threat to injure the person of the addressee or of another, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both. Whoever knowingly so deposits as aforesaid, any communication, for the purpose aforesaid, containing any threat to kidnap any person or any threat to injure the person of the addressee or of another, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both. Whoever, with intent to extort from any person any money or other thing of value, knowingly so deposits as aforesaid, any communication, for the purpose aforesaid, 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., § 338b (

July 8, 1932, ch. 464, § 2, 47 Stat. 649;

May 15, 1939, ch. 133, § 1, 53 Stat. 742). Reference to persons causing or procuring was omitted as unnecessary in view of definition of “principal” in section 2 of this title. Provisions as to district of trial were omitted as covered by section 3237 and 3239 of this title.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1994—Pub. L. 103–322, § 330021(2), substituted “kidnapped” for “kidnaped” in first par. Pub. L. 103–322, § 330016(1)(K), substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $5,000” in first and second pars. Pub. L. 103–322, § 330016(1)(H), substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $1,000” in third par. Pub. L. 103–322, § 330016(1)(G), substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $500” in fourth par. 1970—Pub. L. 91–375 substituted “Postal Service” for “Post Office Department of the United States” in two places in first par.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1970 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 91–375 effective within 1 year after Aug. 12, 1970, on date established therefor by Board of Governors of United States Postal Service and published by it in Federal Register, see section 15(a) of Pub. L. 91–375, set out as an

Effective Date

note preceding section 101 of Title 39, Postal Service.

§877 Mailing threatening communications from foreign country

Summary

Title 18, §877

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Editorial Notes

Amendments

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Effective Date

Citations & Metadata