Knowing the Sentence and Punishment of Extortion

An individual faced with extortion charges may face serious legal punishment. Depending on the nature of the extortion, charges that are brought against the person may be mild or very severe, carrying penalties of everything from fines to jail sentences. Extortion is a Federal crime that can be charged as a misdemeanor or a felony, depending on the circumstances. The legal punishment that an individual will get depends on many things.

Usually, extortion charges will be classified as felony charges, although there are times when extortion can be considered a misdemeanor. Since the crime of extortion is a Federal crime and not a State crime, all 50 states in America have near identical laws regarding extortion. Therefore, an individual in any of the 50 states can be brought to trial for extortion charges.

The legal punishment and penalties one faces will depend on the severity of the extortion that was allegedly committed. On a smaller scale, if an individual is convicted of extortion charges they may be subject to heavy fines. Probation is another common legal punishment depending on the seriousness of the extortion charges.

If the extortion charges are of a more serious nature, the legal punishment can be very serious if the individual is convicted. This is especially true if the individual's extortion charges are accompanied by other criminal charges as well. If someone is convicted of a serious extortion incident, it is likely that they will face jail time.

The seriousness of the extortion charges depends on the extent to which one was threatened, what they were threatened with, and the value of what was extorted from them. Usually, the extortionist will demand money. If the amount of money demanded is very high, the extortionist will likely get a longer jail sentence as their legal punishment.

It can range from two to seven years. If violence was used to extort someone, there is the likelihood of a long jail sentence and the legal punishment that the extortionist faces is usually two to five years in prison.

The most serious extortion charges that one can be brought up on is if they are accused of extorting someone by making them fear for their life. If an extortionist threatens to kill the person they are extorting, their legal punishment could be a prison sentence of up to ten years. While laws regarding the crime of extortion remain almost exactly the same from State to State, the legal punishment that one will get can depend on the jurisdiction that they are charged in.

The legal punishment for the crime of extortion can range from mild to severe. One can be sentenced to a long prison term, depending on the severity of the extortion charges. Even extortion charges that are not as serious as others are punishable by heavy fines and possible jail time.