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

Summary

It makes it a crime to send through a foreign country’s mail any message to someone in the United States that demands money for a kidnapped person or contains threats. Sending a ransom demand on purpose can lead to a fine, up to 20 years in prison, or both. If someone, trying to extort money, mails threats to kidnap or hurt a person, the penalty is also up to 20 years. Knowingly mailing threats to kidnap or hurt a person (without proven extortion intent) can bring up to 5 years. Trying to extort by threatening property damage, harming reputation (including a dead person), or accusing someone of a crime can bring a fine or up to 2 years in prison.

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