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Intent is used to judge whether further prosecution should be pursued. In many of these cases, the individual making the threat is investigated immediately by the FBI. Threats against the President and certain successors to the office of president may be treated as examples of criminal extortion.Some charges defined by federal statute include: Likewise, federal extortion laws also provide for prosecution in cases where the crime involved multiple states or multiple types of offenses. This is because extortion can be a very powerful way for a corrupt government official to negatively impact the lives of others. Extortion Crimes & Chargesįederal extortion laws provide protections both to and against federal employees. The same is possible if the threat was issued over the Internet. For example, if a threat is mailed from one state to another, the crime is likely to be treated as a federal matter. Extortion may be treated as a federal crime even in cases where no federal entity was a party to the crime if the threat crosses state lines. These include appointed personnel, such as federal government workers, as well as elected officials. Federal extortion laws focus upon threats that impact federal employees, or threats that come from federal employees themselves. Extortion LawsĪll states have individual laws against extortion. Extortion stands apart from other forms of racketeering and theft in that it always includes a written or verbal theft. § 872, which provides a penalty of up to three years for agents of the federal government who commit an act of extortion.
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One of the most pertinent forms of federal extortion is defined in 18 U.S.C. Extortion can stand on its own as a federal offense, or it can be part of a pattern of offenses including bribery and corruption. Under federal law, there are many different types of extortion that might be prosecuted as a federal crime.
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