# Criminal Law (GCR)

## Title 3. Other Crimes Against the Person

### Subtitle 7. Extortion and Other Threats

#### Section 3-701

(a) This section does not apply to legitimate efforts by employees or their representatives to obtain certain wages, hours, or working conditions.

(b) A person may not obtain, attempt to obtain, or conspire to obtain money, property, labor, services, or anything of value from another person with the person's consent, if the consent is induced by wrongful use of actual or threatened:

  (1) force or violence;

  (2) economic injury;

  (3) destruction, concealment, removal, confiscation, or possession of any immigration or government identification document with intent to harm the immigration status of another person; or

  (4) notification of law enforcement officials about another person's undocumented or illegal immigration status.

(c)

  (1) If the value of the property, labor, or services is at least $1,000 but less than $10,000, a person who violates this section is guilty of the felony of extortion and on conviction is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 10 years or a fine not exceeding $10,000 or both.

  (2) If the value of the property, labor, or services is at least $10,000 but less than $100,000, a person who violates this section is guilty of the felony of extortion and on conviction is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 15 years or a fine not exceeding $15,000 or both.

  (3) If the value of the property, labor, or services is $100,000 or more, a person who violates this section is guilty of the felony of extortion and on conviction is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 25 years or a fine not exceeding $25,000 or both.

(d) If the value of the property, labor, or services is less than $1,000, a person who violates this section is guilty of the misdemeanor of extortion and on conviction is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 18 months or a fine not exceeding $1,000 or both.

(e) A prosecution for a felony under this section shall be instituted within 5 years after the crime was committed.

#### Section 3-702

(a) In this section, "political subdivision" includes a:

  (1) county;

  (2) municipal corporation;

  (3) bicounty or multicounty agency;

  (4) county board of education;

  (5) public authority; or

  (6) special taxing district.

(b) An officer or employee of the State or of a political subdivision may not wrongfully obtain or attempt to obtain money, property, or anything of value from a person with the person's consent, if the consent is obtained under color or pretense of office, under color of official right, or by wrongful use of actual or threatened force or violence.

(c) If the value of the property is at least $1,000 but less than $10,000, a person who violates this section:

  (1) is guilty of the felony of extortion and on conviction is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 10 years or a fine not exceeding $10,000 or both; and

  (2) notwithstanding any pardon, shall be barred permanently from employment by the State or by a political subdivision.

(d) If the value of the property is at least $10,000 but less than $100,000, a person who violates this section:

  (1) is guilty of the felony of extortion and on conviction is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 15 years or a fine not exceeding $15,000 or both; and

  (2) notwithstanding any pardon, shall be barred permanently from employment by the State or by a political subdivision.

(e) If the value of the property is $100,000 or more, a person who violates this section:

  (1) is guilty of the felony of extortion and on conviction is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 25 years or a fine not exceeding $25,000 or both; and

  (2) notwithstanding any pardon, shall be barred permanently from employment by the State or by a political subdivision.

(f) If the value of the property is less than $1,000, a person who violates this section is guilty of the misdemeanor of extortion and on conviction is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 18 months or a fine not exceeding $500 or both.

(g) A prosecution for a felony under this section shall be instituted within 5 years after the crime was committed.

#### Section 3-703

(a) An officer or employee of the State or of a county, municipal corporation, bicounty agency, or multicounty agency may not, by force, intimidation, or threat, induce a person employed in work financed wholly or partly by the State or by a county, municipal corporation, bicounty agency, or multicounty agency to give up any compensation to which the person is entitled under a contract or otherwise.

(b) A person who violates this section is guilty of a felony and on conviction is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 5 years or a fine not exceeding $5,000 or both.

(c) A prosecution for a crime under this section shall be instituted within 5 years after the crime was committed.

#### Section 3-704

(a) A person, with the intent to unlawfully extort money, property, labor, services, or anything of value from another, may not falsely accuse or threaten to falsely accuse another of a crime or of anything that, if the accusation were true, would tend to bring the other into contempt or disrepute.

(b) A person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 10 years or a fine not exceeding $10,000 or both.

#### Section 3-705

(a) A person, with the intent to unlawfully extort money, property, labor, services, or anything of value from another, may not verbally threaten to:

  (1) accuse any person of a crime or of anything that, if true, would bring the person into contempt or disrepute; or

  (2)

    (i) cause physical injury to a person;

    (ii) inflict emotional distress on a person;

    (iii) cause economic damage to a person; or

    (iv) cause damage to the property of a person.

(b) A person who violates this section is guilty of a felony and on conviction is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 10 years or a fine not exceeding $10,000 or both.

#### Section 3-706

(a)

  (1) This section applies to any writing, whether or not the writing is signed, or if the writing is signed, whether or not it is signed with a fictitious name or any other mark or designation.

  (2) This section does not apply to a good faith reasonable notice of dishonor and warning of criminal prosecution under Title 8, Subtitle 1 of this article given by a holder of an instrument to the maker of the instrument.

(b) A person, with the intent to unlawfully extort money, property, or anything of value from another, may not knowingly send or deliver, or make for the purpose of being sent or delivered and part with the possession of, a writing threatening to:

  (1) accuse any person of a crime or of anything that, if true, would bring the person into contempt or disrepute; or

  (2)

    (i) cause physical injury to a person;

    (ii) inflict emotional distress on a person;

    (iii) cause economic damage to a person; or

    (iv) cause damage to the property of a person.

(c) A person who violates this section is guilty of a felony and on conviction is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 10 years or a fine not exceeding $10,000 or both.

#### Section 3-707

(a) This section does not prohibit picketing in connection with a labor dispute, as defined in Sec. 4-301 of the Labor and Employment Article.

(b) A person or group may not engage in an act or conduct solely to coerce or intimidate another person to contribute or donate any money, goods, materials, or services to a social, economic, or political association or organization.

(c)

  (1) A person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 90 days or a fine not exceeding $100 or both.

  (2) Each day on which a violation of this section occurs is a separate violation.

#### Section 3-708

(a)

  (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.

  (2) "Local official" means an individual serving in a publicly elected office of a local government unit, as defined in Sec. 10-101 of the State Government Article.

  (3)

    (i) "State official" has the meaning stated in Sec. 5-101 of the General Provisions Article.

    (ii) "State official" includes the Governor, Governor-elect, Lieutenant Governor, and Lieutenant Governor-elect.

  (4) "Threat" includes:

    (i) an oral threat; or

    (ii) a threat in any written form, whether or not the writing is signed, or if the writing is signed, whether or not it is signed with a fictitious name or any other mark.

(b) A person may not knowingly and willfully make a threat to take the life of, kidnap, or cause physical injury to a State official, a local official, a deputy State's Attorney, an assistant State's Attorney, or an assistant Public Defender.

(c) A person may not knowingly send, deliver, part with, or make for the purpose of sending or delivering a threat prohibited under subsection (b) of this section.

(d) A person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 3 years or a fine not exceeding $2,500 or both.

#### Section 3-709

(a)

  (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.

  (2) "Intimate parts" has the meaning stated in Sec. 3-809 of this title.

  (3) "Sexual activity" has the meaning stated in Sec. 3-809 of this title.

(b) A person may not cause another to:

  (1) engage in an act of sexual activity by threatening to:

    (i) accuse any person of a crime or of anything that, if true, would bring the person into contempt or disrepute;

    (ii) cause physical injury to a person;

    (iii) inflict emotional distress on a person;

    (iv) cause economic damage to a person; or

    (v) cause damage to the property of a person; or

  (2) engage as a subject in the production of a visual representation or performance that depicts the other with the other's intimate parts exposed or engaging in or simulating an act of sexual activity by threatening to:

    (i) accuse any person of a crime or of anything that, if true, would bring the person into contempt or disrepute;

    (ii) cause physical injury to a person;

    (iii) inflict emotional distress on a person;

    (iv) cause economic damage to a person; or

    (v) cause damage to the property of a person.

(c) A person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 10 years or a fine not exceeding $10,000 or both.

(d) A sentence imposed under this section may be separate from and consecutive to or concurrent with a sentence for any crime based on the act establishing the violation of this section.

(e) A visual representation depicting a victim that is part of a court record for a case arising from a prosecution under this section:

  (1) subject to item (2) of this subsection, may not be made available for public inspection; and

  (2) except as otherwise ordered by the court, may only be made available for inspection in relation to a criminal charge under this section to:

    (i) court personnel;

    (ii) a jury in a criminal case brought under this section;

    (iii) the State's Attorney or the State's Attorney's designee;

    (iv) the Attorney General or the Attorney General's designee;

    (v) a law enforcement officer;

    (vi) the defendant or the defendant's attorney; or

    (vii) the victim or the victim's attorney.

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Md. Code Ann., Crim. Law (as displayed at mgaleg.maryland.gov, October 16, 2026)