{"jurisdiction": "us-ny", "code": "penal", "section": "215.45", "citation": "Penal Law § 215.45", "heading": "Compounding a crime", "text": ["§ 215.45 Compounding a crime.", "1. A person is guilty of compounding a crime when:", "(a) He solicits, accepts or agrees to accept any benefit upon an agreement or understanding that he will refrain from initiating a prosecution for a crime; or", "(b) He confers, or offers or agrees to confer, any benefit upon another person upon an agreement or understanding that such other person will refrain from initiating a prosecution for a crime.", "2. In any prosecution under this section, it is an affirmative defense that the benefit did not exceed an amount which the defendant reasonably believed to be due as restitution or indemnification for harm caused by the crime.", "Compounding a crime is a class A misdemeanor."], "official_source": "https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/PEN/215.45", "from_official_api": true, "plain_english": "- **(1)(a)** A person compounds a crime by **seeking, accepting, or agreeing to accept a benefit in exchange for not starting a prosecution**.\n- **(1)(b)** It also covers **giving, offering, or agreeing to give** a benefit so another person will not start a prosecution. ★\n- **(2)** It is an affirmative defense that the benefit did not exceed what the defendant reasonably believed was due as restitution or compensation for the crime’s harm.\nThe offense is a **class A misdemeanor**.", "in_force_on": "2026-05-31", "retrieved": "2026-09-27", "url": "https://elyphived.com/us-ny/penal/215.45", "publisher": "Elyphived LLC"}