                 TITLE 18--CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
 
                             PART I--CRIMES
 
                    CHAPTER 41--EXTORTION AND THREATS
 
Sec. 876. Mailing threatening communications

    Whoever knowingly deposits in any post office or authorized 
depository for mail matter, to be sent or delivered by the Postal 
Service or knowingly causes to be delivered by the Postal Service 
according to the direction thereon, any communication, with or without a 
name or designating mark subscribed thereto, addressed to any other 
person, 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, or causes to be delivered, as aforesaid, 
any communication 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 or causes to be delivered as 
aforesaid, any communication with or without a name or designating mark 
subscribed thereto, addressed to any other person and 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 or causes to be delivered, as 
aforesaid, any communication, with or without a name or designating mark 
subscribed thereto, addressed to any other person and 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.

(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 741; Pub. L. 91-375, Sec. 6(j)(7), 
Aug. 12, 1970, 84 Stat. 777; Pub. L. 103-322, title XXXIII, 
Secs. 330016(1)(G), (H), (K), 330021(2), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147, 
2150.)


                      Historical and Revision Notes

    Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Sec. 338a (July 8, 1932, ch. 
464, Sec. 1, 47 Stat. 649; June 28, 1935, ch. 326, 49 Stat. 427; May 15, 
1939, ch. 133, Sec. 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 
sections 3237 and 3239 of this title.
    Changes in phraseology and arrangement were made.


                               Amendments

    1994--Pub. L. 103-322, Sec. 330021(2), substituted ``kidnapped'' for 
``kidnaped'' in first par.
    Pub. L. 103-322, Sec. 330016(1)(K), substituted ``fined under this 
title'' for ``fined not more than $5,000'' in first and second pars.
    Pub. L. 103-322, Sec. 330016(1)(H), substituted ``fined under this 
title'' for ``fined not more than $1,000'' in third par.
    Pub. L. 103-322, Sec. 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'' in two places in first par.


                    Effective Date of 1970 Amendment

    Amendment 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.

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in title 8 section 1101.
