Defendant is charged in an indictment with attempted theft by extortion, N.J.S.A. 2C:5-1 and N.J.S.A. 2C:20-5(c). The evidence presented to the grand jury shows that while defendant was located in Maryland, he called and emailed the victim's attorney in New Jersey and communicated threats to disclose private facts about the victim, who resided in New York, unless the victim agreed to contribute monies to an alleged charity defendant operated. The Law Division judge dismissed the indictment, finding New Jersey lacked territorial jurisdiction over the alleged crime, N.J.S.A. 2C:1-3.
The court reverses the dismissal of the indictment. The court concludes that defendant's delivery of the threats into, and the victim's attorney's receipt of the threats in, New Jersey constitute conduct occurring in New Jersey that is an element of the crime of attempted theft by extortion, and therefore there is territorial jurisdiction over the crime charged in the indictment under N.J.S.A. 2C:1-3(a)(1).
