Can I go to prison for pretending to kidnap someone? -- Penal Code 210 PC

Criminal defense attorney Neil Shouse describes the California crime of "Extortion by Posing as a Kidnapper".

More info at https://www.shouselaw.com/ca/defense/penal-code/210/

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In California criminal law Penal Code 210 PC makes it illegal to pretend to be a kidnapper, or to pose as the associate of a kidnapper, or any other person who can secure the release of a kidnapped victim, for the purposes of obtaining a cash ransom, reward, or any other thing of value.

Someone who is guilty of this crime may have attempted to extort money from the family of an actual kidnapped victim, however they did not in fact have anything to do with the kidnapping. Or perhaps the alleged victim was never really kidnapped at all, and the person who is guilty of this crime merely pretended to kidnap the victim, in order to receive a cash ransom, reward money, or other valuable objects, with the expectation that they could secure the release of the alleged victim.

Actually kidnapping someone, or aiding and abetting a kidnapper, is a much more serious crime than Penal Code 210 PC, and can lead to very long prison sentences, even life in prison under certain circumstances. However, simply posing as a kidnapper, or pretending to have kidnapped someone, is also a very serious crime. If found guilty of Penal Code 210 PC in a court of law, "Extortion by Posing as a Kidnapper" is punishable as a felony, with up to 4 years in California state prison.

But not everyone accused of this crime is guilty of it, and occasionally there are very good defenses to this crime that can lead to "not guilty" verdicts, dismissals, or reduced sentencing. It's possible that you were acting in good faith, trying to locate a kidnapped victim, or help to secure their release, and the whole thing was a misunderstanding. Or maybe a friend, family member, or other associate of yours was the one who tried to extort money, and you got erroneously blamed for it. And the whole thing could have been a prank call, or simply a joke in poor taste, and you had no real intention of trying to obtain a cash ransom or other objects of value.

If you or a loved one is charged with Penal Code 210 PC, or any other crime, we invite you to contact us at Shouse Law Group. We can provide a free consultation in office or by phone. We have local offices in Los Angeles, the San Fernando Valley, Pasadena, Long Beach, Orange County, Ventura, San Bernardino, Rancho Cucamonga, Riverside, San Diego, Sacramento, Oakland, San Francisco, San Jose and throughout California.

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