Virginia criminal charge
Committing, conspiring and aiding and abetting acts of terrorism prohibited in Virginia
Committing, conspiring and aiding and abetting acts of terrorism prohibited is a criminal offense under Virginia law, defined by Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-46.5. Its classification is not fixed: Virginia assigns a different penalty class depending on the circumstances of the offense. The class that applies — and the sentencing range that follows from it — depends on which statutory variant fits the facts.
Defined by Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-46.5.
What is the penalty for committing, conspiring and aiding and abetting acts of terrorism prohibited in Virginia?
| Penalty | Range | Basis | Authority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jail / prison | at least 20 years (Act of terrorism — base offense punishable by life or 20+ years — Applies when the base offense of the act of terrorism committed, conspired, or aided and abetted may be punished by life imprisonment or a term of imprisonment of not less than twenty years.; imprisonment for life or for any term not less than 20 years) | mandatory | Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-10 |
| Fine | up to $100,000 (Act of terrorism — base offense punishable by life or 20+ years — Applies when the base offense of the act of terrorism committed, conspired, or aided and abetted may be punished by life imprisonment or a term of imprisonment of not less than twenty years.; only together with imprisonment (§ 18.2-10(g))) | discretionary | Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-10 |
| Jail / prison | 5 years to 20 years (Act of terrorism — base offense punishable by less than 20 years — Applies when the maximum penalty for the base offense of the act of terrorism committed, conspired, or aided and abetted is a term of imprisonment or jail incarceration of less than twenty years.) | mandatory | Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-10 |
| Fine | up to $100,000 (Act of terrorism — base offense punishable by less than 20 years — Applies when the maximum penalty for the base offense of the act of terrorism committed, conspired, or aided and abetted is a term of imprisonment or jail incarceration of less than twenty years.; only together with imprisonment (§ 18.2-10(g))) | discretionary | Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-10 |
| Jail / prison | 2 years to 10 years (Solicitation, recruitment, or encouragement to commit terrorism — Applies to any person who solicits, invites, recruits, encourages, or otherwise causes or attempts to cause another to participate in an act or acts of terrorism.) | mandatory | Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-10 |
| Fine | up to $100,000 (Solicitation, recruitment, or encouragement to commit terrorism — Applies to any person who solicits, invites, recruits, encourages, or otherwise causes or attempts to cause another to participate in an act or acts of terrorism.; only together with imprisonment (§ 18.2-10(g))) | discretionary | Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-10 |
| Jail / prison | 5 years to 20 years (Providing material support to a terrorist individual or organization — Applies when a person knowingly provides material support to an individual or organization whose primary objective is to commit an act of terrorism, intending to further that objective.) | mandatory | Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-10 |
| Fine | up to $100,000 (Providing material support to a terrorist individual or organization — Applies when a person knowingly provides material support to an individual or organization whose primary objective is to commit an act of terrorism, intending to further that objective.; only together with imprisonment (§ 18.2-10(g))) | discretionary | Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-10 |
| Jail / prison | at least 20 years (Providing material support resulting in death — Applies when the death of any person results from the material support provided by the defendant.; imprisonment for life or for any term not less than 20 years) | mandatory | Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-10 |
| Fine | up to $100,000 (Providing material support resulting in death — Applies when the death of any person results from the material support provided by the defendant.; only together with imprisonment (§ 18.2-10(g))) | discretionary | Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-10 |
Applies to current.
How is committing, conspiring and aiding and abetting acts of terrorism prohibited classified in Virginia?
The classification depends on the circumstances:
| Variant | Classification | When it applies | Statute |
|---|---|---|---|
| Act of terrorism — base offense punishable by life or 20+ years | Class 2 Felony | Applies when the base offense of the act of terrorism committed, conspired, or aided and abetted may be punished by life imprisonment or a term of imprisonment of not less than twenty years. | Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-46.5A |
| Act of terrorism — base offense punishable by less than 20 years | Class 3 Felony | Applies when the maximum penalty for the base offense of the act of terrorism committed, conspired, or aided and abetted is a term of imprisonment or jail incarceration of less than twenty years. | Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-46.5B |
| Solicitation, recruitment, or encouragement to commit terrorism | Class 4 Felony | Applies to any person who solicits, invites, recruits, encourages, or otherwise causes or attempts to cause another to participate in an act or acts of terrorism. | Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-46.5C |
| Providing material support to a terrorist individual or organization | Class 3 Felony | Applies when a person knowingly provides material support to an individual or organization whose primary objective is to commit an act of terrorism, intending to further that objective. | Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-46.5D |
| Providing material support resulting in death | Class 2 Felony | Applies when the death of any person results from the material support provided by the defendant. | Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-46.5D |
Common questions about committing, conspiring and aiding and abetting acts of terrorism prohibited in Virginia
Is committing, conspiring and aiding and abetting acts of terrorism prohibited a felony or a misdemeanor in Virginia?
It depends on the circumstances: committing, conspiring and aiding and abetting acts of terrorism prohibited ranges from a class 4 felony to a class 2 felony in Virginia under Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-46.5.
Act of terrorism — base offense punishable by life or 20+ years: class 2 felony (Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-46.5A) · Act of terrorism — base offense punishable by less than 20 years: class 3 felony (Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-46.5B) · Solicitation, recruitment, or encouragement to commit terrorism: class 4 felony (Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-46.5C) · Providing material support to a terrorist individual or organization: class 3 felony (Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-46.5D) · Providing material support resulting in death: class 2 felony (Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-46.5D)
What are the penalties for committing, conspiring and aiding and abetting acts of terrorism prohibited in Virginia?
Penalties for committing, conspiring and aiding and abetting acts of terrorism prohibited in Virginia depend on how it is classified — from a class 4 felony up to a class 2 felony — with the ranges set by Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-10; the full table of ranges by variant is published on this page.
Which Virginia statute covers committing, conspiring and aiding and abetting acts of terrorism prohibited?
Committing, conspiring and aiding and abetting acts of terrorism prohibited is governed by Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-46.5 (Committing, conspiring and aiding and abetting acts of terrorism prohibited; penalty).
Legal terms used in this law
This reference is informational and is not legal advice. Penalty ranges are the statutory classification ranges; sentencing in a specific case depends on its facts and history.