Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 53 Part 2.djvu/267

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53 STAT.] 76TH CONG. , 1 ST SESS.-CH. 133 -MAY 15, 1939 "(d) Any person violating this section may be prosecuted in the judicial district in which such letter or other communication is depos- ited in such post office, station, or authorized depository for mail matter, or in the judicial district into which such letter or other com- munication was carried by the United States mail for delivery according to the direction thereon: Provided, That any defendant in an indictment hereunder, relating to communications originating in the United States, shall, upon motion duly made, be entitled as a matter of right to be tried in the district court of the United States in which the matter mailed or otherwise transmitted was first set in motion; that is, in the mails or in commerce between the States. "SEC. 2 . (a) Whoever shall knowingly deposit or cause to be deposited in any post office or station thereof, or in any authorized depository for mail matter, of any foreign country any written or printed letter or other communication addressed to any person within the United States, for the purpose of having such communication delivered by the Post Office Establishment of such foreign country to the Post Office Establishment of the United States and by it delivered to such addressee in the United States, and as a result thereof such communication is delivered by the Post Office Estab- lishment of such foreign country to the Post Office Establishment of the United States and by it delivered to the address to which it is directed in the United States, and containing any demand or request for ransom or reward for the release of any kidnaped person; or who- ever, with intent to extort from any person any money or other thing of value, shall deposit or cause to be deposited, as aforesaid, any letter or other communication for the purpose aforesaid, con- taining any threat to kidnap any person or any threat to injure the person of the addressee or of another, shall be fined not more than $5,000 or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both. "(b) Whoever shall knowingly deposit or cause to be deposited in any post office or station thereof, or in any authorized depository for mail matter, of any foreign country any written or printed letter or other communication addressed to any person within the United States, for the purpose of having such communication delivered by the Post Office Establishment of such foreign country to the Post Office Establishment of the United States and by it delivered to such addressee in the United States, and as a result thereof such communi- cation is delivered by the Post Office Establishment of such foreign country to the Post Office Establishment of the United States and by it delivered to the address to which it is directed in the United States, and containing any threat to kidnap any person or any threat to injure the person of the addressee or of another, shall be fined not more than $1,000 or imprisoned not more than five years, or both. "(c) Whoever, with intent to extort from any person any money or other thing of value, shall knowingly deposit or cause to be deposited in any post office or station thereof, or in any authorized depository for mail matter, of any foreign country any written or printed letter or other communication, addressed to any person within the United States for the purpose of having such communication delivered by the Post Office Establishment of such foreign country to the Post Office Establishment of the United States and by it delivered to such addressee in the United States, and as a result thereof such communication is delivered by the Post Office Establishment of such foreign country to the Post Office Establishment of the United States and by it delivered to the address to which it is directed in the Unite States, and containing any threat to injure the property or reputation of the addressee or of another, or the reputation of a deceased person, or any threat to accuse the addressee or any other 743 Prosecution. Proviso. Venue. Deposit of threaten- ing communications in foreign post office, etc., addressed to person inU.S. Containing demand for ransom, etc. Penalty. Containing threat to kidnap, etc. Penalty. Extortion messages.