18 U.S.C. § 1951 | Interference with commerce by threats or violence

(a)

Whoever in any way or degree obstructs, delays, or affects commerce or the movement of any article or commodity in commerce, by robbery or extortion or attempts or conspires so to do, or commits or threatens physical violence to any person or property in furtherance of a plan or purpose to do anything in violation of this section shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both.

(b)

As used in this section—

(1)

The term “robbery” means the unlawful taking or obtaining of personal property from the person or in the presence of another, against his will, by means of actual or threatened force, or violence, or fear of injury, immediate or future, to his person or property, or property in his custody or possession, or the person or property of a relative or member of his family or of anyone in his company at the time of the taking or obtaining.

(2)

The term “extortion” means the obtaining of property from another, with his consent, induced by wrongful use of actual or threatened force, violence, or fear, or under color of official right.

(3)

The term “commerce” means commerce within the District of Columbia, or any Territory or Possession of the United States; all commerce between any point in a State, Territory, Possession, or the District of Columbia and any point outside thereof; all commerce between points within the same State through any place outside such State; and all other commerce over which the United States has jurisdiction.

(c)

section 17 of Title 15 This section shall not be construed to repeal, modify or affect , sections 52, 101–115, 151–166 of Title 29 or sections 151–188 of Title 45.

June 25, 1948, ch. 645 62 Stat. 793 Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(L)Sept. 13, 1994108 Stat. 2147 (, ; , , .)

Historical and Revision Notes

June 18, 1934, ch. 569 48 Stat. 979 July 3, 1946, ch. 537 60 Stat. 420 Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., §§ 420a–420e–1 (, §§ 1–6, , 980; , ).

Section consolidates sections 420a to 420e–1 of Title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., with changes in phraseology and arrangement necessary to effect consolidation.

section 1 of this title section 550 of this titleProvisions designating offense as felony were omitted as unnecessary in view of definitive . (See reviser’s note under .)

Subsection (c) of the revised section is derived from title II of the 1946 amendment. It substitutes references to specific sections of the United States Code, 1940 ed., in place of references to numerous acts of Congress, in conformity to the style of the revision bill. Subsection (c) as rephrased will preclude any construction of implied repeal of the specified acts of Congress codified in the sections enumerated.

section 2 of this titleThe words “attempts or conspires so to do” were substituted for sections 3 and 4 of the 1946 act, omitting as unnecessary the words “participates in an attempt” and the words “or acts in concert with another or with others”, in view of which makes any person who participates in an unlawful enterprise or aids or assists the principal offender, or does anything towards the accomplishment of the crime, a principal himself.

Words “shall, upon conviction thereof,” were omitted as surplusage, since punishment cannot be imposed until a conviction is secured.

Editorial Notes

References in Text

act Mar. 23, 1932, ch. 90 47 Stat. 70 section 101 of Title 29Sections 101–115 of Title 29, referred to in subsec. (c), is a reference to , , popularly known as the Norris-LaGuardia Act. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under , Labor, and Tables.

section 111 of Title 29 section 3692 of this titleact June 25, 1948, ch. 645, § 21 62 Stat. 862 Sept. 1, 1948Section 11 of that act, formerly classified to , was repealed and reenacted as by , , eff. .

section 112 of Title 29June 25, 1948Section 12 of that act, formerly classified to , was repealed by act , and is covered by rule 42(b) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, set out in Appendix to this title.

Section 164 of Title 45act Oct. 10, 1940, ch. 851, § 4 54 Stat. 1111 , included within the reference in subsec. (c) to sections 151–188 of Title 45, was repealed by , .

Section 186 of Title 45, included within the reference in subsec. (c) to sections 151–188 of Title 45, was omitted from the Code.

Amendments

Pub. L. 103–3221994—Subsec. (a). substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $10,000”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Short Title

This section is popularly known as the “Hobbs Act”.