PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

Sending a message across state lines or to another country that demands money or a reward for releasing a kidnapped person is a crime. A person who does that can be fined, jailed for up to 20 years, or both. Sending a message across state lines that threatens to kidnap or hurt someone is also a crime. If the sender meant to extort money or other value, the punishment can be up to 20 years in prison; if there was no extortion intent, it can be up to 5 years. If someone sends a message across state lines trying to extort money or value by threatening to damage property, harm someone's reputation (including a dead person), or accuse someone of a crime, that person can be fined, jailed for up to 2 years, or both.

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