Extortion: Laws, Penalties and Sentencing
>"You've probably seen it portrayed numerous times in film or television: a mobster makes his way into a local family-run store and tells the elderly owners that they need to pay him “protection” money so he can defend them from the neighborhood thugs, or even from his own actions. This common plot device is based on a real life crime. Attempting to force someone to pay you by making threats is known as extortion, and it is punished in all states, as well as under federal law.
The crime of extortion traditionally covered only actions by public or government officials, though today the crime applies to actions by private citizens as well. (In some states, extortion applies to acts by public officials, while blackmail applies to acts by private citizens, even though the same type of activities are involved.) Extortion occurs when someone attempts to obtain money or property by threatening to commit violence, accuse the victim of a crime, or reveal private or damaging information about the victim.:<
more: ---> https://www.criminaldefenselawyer.com/crime-penalties/federal/Extortion.htm