§ 22-3252 — Blackmail.

District of Columbia § 22-3252

• Jurisdiction: District of Columbia
• Title 22: Criminal Offenses and Penalties.
• Ch. 32: Theft; Fraud; Stolen Property; Forgery; and Extortion.
• Subch. VI: Extortion.

Text

(a) A person commits the offense of blackmail when that person, with intent to obtain property of another or to cause another to do or refrain from doing any act, threatens to:

(1) Accuse another person of a crime;

(2) Expose a secret or publicize an asserted fact, whether true or false, tending to subject another person to hatred, contempt, ridicule, embarrassment, or other injury to reputation;

(3) Impair the reputation of another person, including a deceased person;

(4) Distribute a photograph, video, or audio recording, whether authentic or inauthentic, tending to subject another person to hatred, contempt, ridicule, embarrassment, or other injury to reputation; or

(5) Notify a federal, state, or local government agency or official of, or publicize, another person's immigration or citizenship status.

(b) Any person convicted of blackmail shall be fined not more than the amount set forth in § 22-3571.01 or imprisoned for not more than 5 years, or both.

Legislative History

Dec. 1, 1982, D.C. Law 4-164, § 152, 29 DCR 3976; June 11, 2013, D.C. Law 19-317, § 205(u), 60 DCR 2064