Mailing threatening communications from foreign country
Official text prohibited actmental stateif conditionpenaltylegal term
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 or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both.
Whoever, with intent to extort from any person any money or other , 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 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 or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.
Whoever, with intent to extort from any person any money or other , 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 or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.
History: (June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 741 (PDF, 39 MB); Pub. L. 91–375, §6(j)(8), Aug. 12, 1970, 84 Stat. 777 (PDF, 12 MB); Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, §§330016(1)(G), (H), (K), 330021(2), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147 (PDF, 52 MB), 2150.)
Simplified explanation
It is a federal crime to knowingly mail a ransom demand or a threat to kidnap or injure someone from a foreign country to a person in the United States. It is also a crime to mail such a message threatening someone's property or reputation, or threatening to accuse them of a crime, to get money or something valuable.