Under federal law, the offense of extortion typically requires the use of interstate communications to make a threat. The statute prohibits a person (1) from obtaining someone elseвЂ™s property or вЂњan official act of a public officer вЂќ (2) by wrongfully using force against the person, instilling fear of harm in the person, or acting вЂњunder color of official right.вЂќД®xtortion may be prosecuted under federal law when it involves interstate communications or the extortion of a federal or foreign official.

Large-scale extortion, such as extortion performed by or on behalf of an organization, may be prosecuted as racketeering under statutes like the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO).Д¬aliforniaвЂ™s extortion statute, which defines the offense based on two elements, the alleged perpetratorвЂ™s objective and the means used, offers a good example of extortionвЂ™s legal definition. Extortion that involves the use of information, rather than force, in order to coerce someone is classified as blackmail in some jurisdictions.

One form of extortion, commonly known as вЂњprotection,вЂќ involves a promise to refrain from a harmful action, which by necessity implies a threat of harm, in exchange for ongoing payments. This could consist of physical harm, financial harm, destruction of property, or abuse of official power. Many jurisdictions classify extortion as a вЂњcrime against propertyвЂќ or a theft-related offense, but the threat of harm to a person is an essential element of the offense. Extortion may also involve a third-party requiring a person to pay regular sums of money or risk having incriminating pictures released to the internet or to family and friends.The use of force, or the threat of force, to obtain money, something else of value, or services from a person is often known as the criminal offense of extortion. For instance, a politician may threaten to enact policies that would harm a businessmanвЂ™s financial interests unless the businessman supports his campaign. On the other hand, extortion involves threats. Sometimes bribery can involve other perks. Money is commonly used in bribery cases, but it may not be the only incentive. A corporate example may involve one company paying the employees of another company to give up trade secrets. For instance, a businessman may try to offer a high-ranking politician a large sum of money in order to enact policies favorable to the businessmanвЂ™s financial endeavors.ДЄnother example could include a bookie trying to pay off an athlete in order to вЂњthrowвЂќ a match entirely or simply not play as well. This is a very broad definition, but there are some common scenarios. What is bribery?Д®ssentially, bribery is an exchange of something valuable in order to gain something else of value. According to FindLaw, bribery attempts to coerce the target in a positive way, while extortion attempts to do so in a negative way. Both crimes often garner a lot of public interest, but they are different in the eyes of the law. Another, similar charge that is often confused with bribery is extortion. However, it is important to understand the nature of a bribery charge. Bribery may involve high-standing politicians, celebrities or wealthy investors. Accusations of bribery often result in high-profile cases, particularly if the case is international in scope.

Bribery vs extortion