What is Extortion?
The general definition of extortion is the process of obtaining something, usually money or services, by force or threats. California’s definition of extortion breaks the crime into three separate acts.
- Using threats or force to make someone give you money or property.
- Making a police officer perform official acts through force or making threats.
- Taking advantage of being a public official by forcing others to give you something, like money, property or services.
What Are The Consequences of Extortion?
Extortion is an extremely serious crime with severe punishments. If convicted of extortion, you could face up to four years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Possible Defenses to Extortion
Defenses to extortion rely completely on the nature of your case. Here are some general defenses to extortion.
- The victim of extortion was not blackmailed or threatened by the accused.
- The accused is indeed innocent and has been falsely accused
- There isn’t enough evidence for a conviction
Extortion and Celebrities
Because celebrities are widely known to be rich, they are often the targets of extortion and blackmail. People will often threaten to accuse celebrities of crimes they didn’t commit to get some sort of pay off. Celebrity extortion cases are more common than you might think. According to Mark Geragos, a Los Angeles attorney, there are about 10 cases of celebrity extortion for every 1 you hear about in the news. The difference is that most of them are taken care of before they hit the news.
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Extortion and the Internet
Extortion and blackmail is much easier now with the internet. People can hack into computers and steal private information. With this information, they can threaten to release it to the public if their demands are not met. If you are being extorted, contact the police immediately.
Local Stories About Extortion
In San Jose, California, a former police commander John Nyunt pleaded guilty to extortion. During his time as a police commander, Nyunt would point victims of crime to his private investigator agency, where he would charge up to $10,000 to look into the incident. In addition to extortion, Nyunt shared his police departments password with his former wife. His former wife would then steal people’s identities with the police department’s login information. Nyunt’s former wife has also been charged with 43 counts of alleged identity theft.
If you have been accused of extortion, contact an experienced criminal defense attorney.