You’re No Capone, but Don’t Expect Leniency. Bribery and Extortion Accusations Are Serious Business.

To members of the general public, words like “bribery” and “extortion” conjure images of Tony Soprano and Al Capone. Right now, those words may be at the heart of legal troubles that are causing you sleepless nights as you wonder if, like Al Capone, your very freedom could be taken from you.

While you know that you do not belong in conversations with such notorious figures, that fact won’t spare you from a severe sentence. The LLF Law Firm Criminal Defense Team could, though.

After you’ve finished this article—a quick, essential primer for those charged with extortion, bribery, or both—call the LLF Law Firm at 888-535-3686 or contact us online. These are serious charges that require a seriously skillful defense.

Aren’t Extortion and Bribery the Same Thing? No, They’re Not.

On a simple level, extortion and bribery might seem like the criminal equivalent of “the carrot and the stick.” Those charged with either of these offenses in Pennsylvania should have a more nuanced understanding of these criminal offenses, though, so let’s define them:

• Bribery: Pennsylvania law considers it bribery when someone either offers or actually imparts something of value in exchange for “a decision, opinion, recommendation, vote or other exercise of discretion,” or “for the decision, vote, recommendation or other exercise of official discretion by the recipient in a judicial, administrative or legislative proceeding.” Someone who accepts such a benefit in a quid pro quo exchange may also be guilty of bribery. It is not a defense to state that the person who was being bribed was not capable of delivering the benefit expected of them—the mere offer or acceptance makes the bribery.
• Extortion: Known in legal parlance as “Theft by Extortion,” someone commits this offense when they obtain or withhold someone else’s property by committing another criminal offense (like kidnapping or assault), subjecting them to public ridicule or embarrassment, levying accusations that they committed a criminal offense, or using certain other means.

Yes, the law related to bribery and extortion is what most people think—someone of influence is induced into doing something, or handing something over, by either an incentive, force, or threat.

Hire a Law Firm That Understands Pennsylvania Law (and How to Defend Against Alleged Bribery or Extortion)

Bribery, Theft by Extortion, and similar offenses like Criminal Coercion and Intimidation of Witnesses or Victims can be graded as felonies. This means you may be facing incarceration, and that is just one of many consequences that arise from criminal convictions.

Hire the LLF Law Firm to lead your defense because:

• Our firm has extensive experience with white-collar crime cases, which are often overzealously prosecuted (despite narratives that these defendants often get off lightly, it’s not the case)
• Pennsylvania is our home, and our familiarity with the state’s laws and courts is invaluable
• We also help when charges become federal, which is a possibility we must consider when cases involve alleged bribery or extortion

We have seen how professional disagreements, heated exchanges, and other run-of-the-mill circumstances can mushroom into charges of extortion (as one vice president at a Pennsylvania-based home improvement company found out the hard way).

You are probably facing circumstances you never thought possible, but it’s time to face reality and take action to protect yourself. Call the LLF Law Firm at 888-535-3686 or contact us online. Get the help you need and deserve from a law firm that stands out from the rest.