{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/18.2-59.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/18.2-59.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/18.2-59.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/18.2-59.html"}],"law_id":72142,"edition_id":1,"section_id":72142,"structure_id":13516,"section_number":"18.2-59","catch_line":"Extortion of money, property or pecuniary benefit","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 18.1-184; 1960, c. 358; 1975, cc. 14, 15; 2006, c. 313; 2007, cc. 453, 547; 2010, c. 298.","full_text":"Any person who (i) threatens injury to the character, person, or property of another person, (ii) accuses him of any offense, (iii) threatens to report him as being illegally present in the United States, or (iv) knowingly destroys, conceals, removes, confiscates, withholds or threatens to withhold, or possesses any actual or purported passport or other immigration document, or any other actual or purported government identification document, of another person, and thereby extorts money, property, or pecuniary benefit or any note, bond, or other evidence of debt from him or any other person, is guilty of a Class 5 felony.\n\t\tFor the purposes of this section, injury to property includes the sale, distribution, or release of identifying information defined in clauses (iii) through (xii) of subsection C of \u00a7 18.2-186.3, but does not include the distribution or release of such information by a person who does so with the intent to obtain money, property or a pecuniary benefit to which he reasonably believes he is lawfully entitled.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":259912,"text":"Any person who (i) threatens injury to the character, person, or property of another person, (ii) accuses him of any offense, (iii) threatens to report him as being illegally present in the United States, or (iv) knowingly destroys, conceals, removes, confiscates, withholds or threatens to withhold, or possesses any actual or purported passport or other immigration document, or any other actual or purported government identification document, of another person, and thereby extorts money, property, or pecuniary benefit or any note, bond, or other evidence of debt from him or any other person, is guilty of a Class 5 felony.\n\t\tFor the purposes of this section, injury to property includes the sale, distribution, or release of identifying information defined in clauses (iii) through (xii) of subsection C of \u00a7 18.2-186.3, but does not include the distribution or release of such information by a person who does so with the intent to obtain money, property or a pecuniary benefit to which he reasonably believes he is lawfully entitled.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":13516,"edition_id":1,"name":"Extortion and Other Threats","identifier":"6","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13100,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:45:07","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:45:07","permalink":{"id":165091,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13516,"identifier":"6","token":"18.2\/4\/6","url":"\/18.2\/4\/6\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13100,"edition_id":1,"name":"Crimes Against the Person","identifier":"4","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12972,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:17","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:17","permalink":{"id":164763,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13100,"identifier":"4","token":"18.2\/4","url":"\/18.2\/4\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12972,"edition_id":1,"name":"Crimes and Offenses Generally","identifier":"18.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:05","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:05","permalink":{"id":164139,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12972,"identifier":"18.2","token":"18.2","url":"\/18.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":72142,"structure_id":13516,"section_number":"18.2-59","catch_line":"Extortion of money, property or pecuniary benefit","url":"\/18.2-59\/","token":"18.2\/4\/6\/18.2-59","metadata":false},{"id":59217,"structure_id":13516,"section_number":"18.2-59.1","catch_line":"Sexual extortion; penalty","url":"\/18.2-59.1\/","token":"18.2\/4\/6\/18.2-59.1","metadata":false},{"id":70858,"structure_id":13516,"section_number":"18.2-60","catch_line":"Threats of death or bodily injury to a person or member of his family; threats of death or discharge of a firearm on school property; threats of death or bodily injury to health care providers; penalties","url":"\/18.2-60\/","token":"18.2\/4\/6\/18.2-60","metadata":false},{"id":66281,"structure_id":13516,"section_number":"18.2-60.1","catch_line":"Threatening the Governor or his immediate family","url":"\/18.2-60.1\/","token":"18.2\/4\/6\/18.2-60.1","metadata":false},{"id":62513,"structure_id":13516,"section_number":"18.2-60.2","catch_line":"Members of the Governor's immediate family","url":"\/18.2-60.2\/","token":"18.2\/4\/6\/18.2-60.2","metadata":false},{"id":54485,"structure_id":13516,"section_number":"18.2-60.3","catch_line":"Stalking; penalty","url":"\/18.2-60.3\/","token":"18.2\/4\/6\/18.2-60.3","metadata":false},{"id":86834,"structure_id":13516,"section_number":"18.2-60.4","catch_line":"Violation of protective orders; penalty","url":"\/18.2-60.4\/","token":"18.2\/4\/6\/18.2-60.4","metadata":false},{"id":68255,"structure_id":13516,"section_number":"18.2-60.5","catch_line":"Unauthorized use of electronic tracking device; penalty","url":"\/18.2-60.5\/","token":"18.2\/4\/6\/18.2-60.5","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":59217,"structure_id":13516,"section_number":"18.2-59.1","catch_line":"Sexual extortion; penalty","url":"\/18.2-59.1\/","token":"18.2\/4\/6\/18.2-59.1","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/18.2-59\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 5 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1960, chapter 358; in 1975, chapters 14 and 15; in 2006, chapter 313<\/a>; in 2007, chapters 453<\/a> and 547<\/a>; in 2010, chapter 298<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":86583,"section_number":"18.2-46.1","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/18.2-46.1\/"},{"id":68291,"section_number":"18.2-513","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/18.2-513\/"},{"id":84590,"section_number":"19.2-11.02","catch_line":"Prohibiting inquiry into the immigration status of certain victims or witnesses of crime","order_by":null,"url":"\/19.2-11.02\/"},{"id":77143,"section_number":"19.2-215.1","catch_line":"Functions of a multi-jurisdiction grand jury","order_by":null,"url":"\/19.2-215.1\/"},{"id":79782,"section_number":"19.2-386.35","catch_line":"Seizure of property used in connection with certain offenses","order_by":null,"url":"\/19.2-386.35\/"},{"id":61280,"section_number":"19.2-392.02","catch_line":"National criminal background checks by businesses and organizations regarding employees or volunteers providing care to children or the elderly or disabled","order_by":null,"url":"\/19.2-392.02\/"},{"id":70476,"section_number":"19.2-66","catch_line":"When Attorney General or Chief Deputy Attorney General may apply for order authorizing interception of communications","order_by":null,"url":"\/19.2-66\/"},{"id":56780,"section_number":"4.1-225","catch_line":"Grounds for which Board may suspend or revoke licenses; exception","order_by":null,"url":"\/4.1-225\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":73403,"section_number":"18.2-186.3","catch_line":"Identity theft; penalty; restitution; victim assistance","order_by":null,"url":"\/18.2-186.3\/"}],"permalink":{"id":165093,"object_type":"law","relational_id":72142,"identifier":"18.2-59","token":"18.2\/4\/6\/18.2-59","url":"\/18.2-59\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/18.2-59\/","token":"18.2\/4\/6\/18.2-59","dublin_core":{"Title":"Extortion of money, property or pecuniary benefit","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 18.2-59","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Any person who (i) threatens injury to the character, person, or property of another person, (ii) accuses him of any offense<\/span>, (iii) threatens to report him as being illegally present in the United States, or (iv) knowingly destroys, conceals, removes, confiscates, withholds or threatens to withhold, or possesses any actual or purported passport or other immigration document, or any other actual or purported government identification document, of another person, and thereby extorts money, property, or pecuniary benefit or any note, bond<\/span>, or other evidence<\/span> of debt from him or any other person, is guilty of a Class 5 felony<\/span>.\n\t\tFor the purposes of this section, injury to property includes the sale, distribution, or release of identifying information defined in clauses (iii) through (xii) of subsection C of \u00a7 18.2-186.3<\/a>, but does not include the distribution or release of such information by a person who does so with the intent<\/span> to obtain money, property or a pecuniary benefit to which he reasonably believes he is lawfully entitled.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nEXTORTION OF MONEY, PROPERTY OR PECUNIARY BENEFIT (\u00a7 18.2-59)\n\nAny person who (i) threatens injury to the character, person, or property of\nanother person, (ii) accuses him of any offense, (iii) threatens to report him\nas being illegally present in the United States, or (iv) knowingly destroys,\nconceals, removes, confiscates, withholds or threatens to withhold, or possesses\nany actual or purported passport or other immigration document, or any other\nactual or purported government identification document, of another person, and\nthereby extorts money, property, or pecuniary benefit or any note, bond, or\nother evidence of debt from him or any other person, is guilty of a Class 5\nfelony.\n\t\tFor the purposes of this section, injury to property includes the sale,\ndistribution, or release of identifying information defined in clauses (iii)\nthrough (xii) of subsection C of \u00a7 18.2-186.3, but does not include the\ndistribution or release of such information by a person who does so with the\nintent to obtain money, property or a pecuniary benefit to which he reasonably\nbelieves he is lawfully entitled.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 18.1-184; 1960, c. 358; 1975, cc. 14, 15; 2006, c. 313;\n2007, cc. 453, 547; 2010, c. 298.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}