All activities that involve coercive means to extort or exact or procure financial resources or a form of capital can typically be brought under the term Extortion. Like a lot of other States in the US, Virginia maintains strict measures against the crime itself. Virginia code can be generalized to include offenses in which an actor forces the victim to forgo their money or any other property by unlawful or coercive means; this includes the threat of violence, damage to property, or inflicting financial hardships, or any other related offense such as reputation damage or slander.
Extortion is very near in meaning to and is a form of theft. This is due to the fact that the perpetrator of this crime procures property from another person with the usage of illegal or unlawful means. Extortion also shares a few qualities with robbery as threats are involved, including the threat of death.
Understanding Virginia’s Laws on Extortion
In terms of the law, Virginia’s legal code defines the term extortion in Section 18 of Virginia Code. It broadly defines extortion in terms of its elements and details penalties.
Within this legal statute, an individual is liable to be charged with extortion for one or more of the following reasons:
- Threatening bodily harm or injury to another person, their property or their character
- Falsely accusing another person of an offense
- Threatening to tell on someone or to report them to the law on their immigration status
- Stealing, concealing or threatening to destroy someone else’s immigration documents with intent
Within the context of Virginia’s Code, the types of property that can be extorted can include the following:
- Money or Hard Capital
- Real Estate, or Personal Property
- Evidence of Debt or collection
- Any other financial benefits
Some penalties associated with the crime of extortion in Virginia are:
- As a class five felony, the Virginia Law can either prosecute it as a misdemeanor or something that is more severe. This, of course, depends on the context and the details of the crime
- Class five felonies are punishable by a term of up to ten years of prison time, and the minimum time to serve is one year without bail.
Why should you hire an Extorted Money Attorney
Defamation and extortion crimes are taken very seriously and handled with delicacy in Virginia. This is because, apart from being a class five felony, it can also result in the revocation of certain rights and privileges. This can include anything from annulment of marriages based on coercion, drivers’ licenses, and working permits.
Class five felonies are punishable by up to 10 years of prison time. And hence, they require delicate handling in order to protect your rights during prosecution. Your attorney will almost always be necessary to deal with such cases. This is regardless of the fact if you’re the alleged perpetrator or the victim. Your attorney will act as a buffer and barrier between you and the government of Virginia. This will not only ensure that your rights are protected but also that investigation into proving your innocence are sincere and thorough.
Extorted Money Attorneys Virginia – call us at 888-437-7747.