Guidelines Manual, Chapter TwoFY2018–FY2025
§2B3.2
Extortion by force or threat of injury · 0% of federal cases · Guidelines Manual
The datafile contains cases reported to the Commission with sentencing documents. Sentence length statistics use the Commission's capped variable (sentences of 470 months or longer, including life, are recorded as 470 months) and exclude sentences of probation or a fine only. Figures are aggregates of past cases and are not a prediction for any case.
§ 1Length of prison terms
Interquartile range 24–66 months; mean 53. 0 cases at the 470-month cap.
§ 2Summary
§2B3.2 (extortion by force or threat of injury) was the primary guideline in 240 cases sentenced across 8 fiscal years (FY2018–FY2025), 0% of all cases, with 21 in FY2025. The Commission classes most of them as extortion/racketeering.
The median prison term under §2B3.2 was 41 months (3 yr 5 mo) (all cases nationally: 24 months); 96% of cases carried a prison term.
35% of sentences were within the guideline range. Of the rest, 25% were below the range on a government motion, 35% below it for other reasons and 5% above it. The departure and variance table below uses the Commission's nine SENTRNGE categories.
FY2025 had fewer cases than FY2018 (21 against 41). The median prison term in FY2025 (63 months) was longer than in FY2018 (37 months).
§ 3Departures and variances
Within guideline range 35%Above range 5%Below range, government sponsored 25%Below range, other 35%Not determinable 0
| Commission category (SENTRNGE) | Cases | Share | All cases |
|---|---|---|---|
| Within range | 84 | 35.0% | 47.4% |
| Upward departure | <10 | — | 0.5% |
| Above-range variance | 11 | 4.6% | 2.6% |
| §5K1.1 substantial assistance | 25 | 10.4% | 9.5% |
| §5K3.1 early disposition | <10 | — | 9.2% |
| Government-sponsored departure | <10 | — | 1.9% |
| Government-sponsored variance | 29 | 12.1% | 8.0% |
| Downward departure | <10 | — | 2.1% |
| Below-range variance | 78 | 32.5% | 18.8% |
| Missing or indeterminable | 0 | — | — |
Shares are of cases with a determinable range status. Departures cite a provision of the Guidelines Manual; variances rest on the statutory sentencing factors (18 U.S.C. §3553(a)) after United States v. Booker.
§ 4Cases by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Cases | Prison | Median months | Within range | Below, gov. | Below, other | Above |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2018 | 41 | 100% | 37 | 44% | — | 42% | — |
| FY2019 | 45 | 100% | 41 | 49% | — | 33% | — |
| FY2020 | 23 | — | 41 | — | — | — | — |
| FY2021 | 28 | — | 30 | — | — | 39% | — |
| FY2022 | 23 | — | 57 | — | — | — | — |
| FY2023 | 31 | 100% | 34 | — | — | 48% | — |
| FY2024 | 28 | — | 30 | — | 39% | — | 0% |
| FY2025 | 21 | — | 63 | — | — | — | — |
§ 5Offence types the Commission assigns
| Primary offence type | Cases | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Extortion/Racketeering | 240 | 100.0% |
§ 6Districts with the most cases
| District | Cases | Prison | Median months | Within range | Below, gov. | Below, other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern District of New York S.D.N.Y. | 47 | 100% | 24 | 21% | — | 57% |
| Eastern District of New York E.D.N.Y. | 41 | — | 39 | 37% | 24% | 37% |
| Central District of California C.D. Cal. | 18 | 100% | 62 | — | — | 72% |
| Northern District of Illinois N.D. Ill. | 16 | 100% | 61 | — | — | — |
| District of Columbia D.D.C. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| District of Massachusetts D. Mass. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Western District of Texas W.D. Tex. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Southern District of Florida S.D. Fla. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Northern District of California N.D. Cal. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| District of New Jersey D.N.J. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| District of Maryland D. Md. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Northern District of Indiana N.D. Ind. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Eastern District of Texas E.D. Tex. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Southern District of Texas S.D. Tex. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Northern District of Ohio N.D. Ohio | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Southern District of Ohio S.D. Ohio | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| District of Oregon D. Or. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| District of Kansas D. Kan. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| District of Puerto Rico D.P.R. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| District of Connecticut D. Conn. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
By circuit
| Circuit | Cases | Prison | Median months | Within range | Below, gov. | Below, other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia Circuit | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| First Circuit | 10 | 100% | 36 | — | — | — |
| Second Circuit | 92 | — | 30 | 29% | 22% | 46% |
| Third Circuit | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Fourth Circuit | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Fifth Circuit | 16 | 100% | 45 | — | — | — |
| Sixth Circuit | 15 | 100% | 48 | — | — | — |
| Seventh Circuit | 21 | 100% | 54 | — | — | — |
| Eighth Circuit | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Ninth Circuit | 38 | 100% | 42 | 32% | 26% | 40% |
| Tenth Circuit | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Eleventh Circuit | 12 | — | 34 | — | — | — |
§ 7Questions and answers
What is §2B3.2?
Section 2B3.2 of the Guidelines Manual: extortion by force or threat of injury. On this site a case is counted under a guideline when the Commission records it as the primary guideline (GDLINEHI) applied at sentencing.
What is the typical sentence under §2B3.2?
The median prison term over FY2018–FY2025 was 41 months (3 yr 5 mo), with the middle half between 24 and 66 months.
How often do sentences under §2B3.2 depart or vary from the range?
65% of sentences were outside the guideline range. Substantial-assistance motions under §5K1.1 accounted for 10% and below-range variances for 33%.
Which districts see the most §2B3.2 cases?
the Southern District of New York (47), the Eastern District of New York (41) and the Central District of California (18).
§ 8Provenance
Source: United States Sentencing Commission, Individual Offender Datafiles, fiscal years 2018–2025 (US government works), aggregated by this site; the FY2025 file is dated 29 Apr 2026. Guideline is the Commission's GDLINEHI field (primary guideline applied). Counts below 10 are hidden or pooled. Errors in this site's processing are corrected at the next build; see corrections. Methodology.