Neb. Rev. Stat. § 28-1351 — NE Code / Chapter 28 / Section 28-1351
View Statute 28-1351
Status: in_force

(1) A person commits the offense of unlawful membership recruitment into an organization or association when he or she knowingly and intentionally coerces, intimidates, threatens, or inflicts bodily harm upon another person in order to entice that other person to join or prevent that other person from leaving any organization, group, enterprise, or association whose members, individually or collectively, engage in or have engaged in any of the following criminal acts for the benefit of, at the direction of, or on behalf of the organization, group, enterprise, or association or any of its members:

(a) Robbery under section 28-324 ;

(b) Arson in the first, second, or third degree under section 28-502 , 28-503 , or 28-504 , respectively;

(c) Burglary under section 28-507 ;

(d) Murder in the first degree, murder in the second degree, or manslaughter under section 28-303 , 28-304 , or 28-305 , respectively;

(e) Violations of the Uniform Controlled Substances Act that involve possession with intent to deliver, distribution, delivery, or manufacture of a controlled substance;

(f) Unlawful use, possession, or discharge of a firearm or other deadly weapon under sections 28-1201 to 28-1212.04 ;

(g) Assault in the first degree or assault in the second degree under section 28-308 or 28-309 , respectively;

(h) Assault on an officer, an emergency responder, a state correctional employee, a Department of Health and Human Services employee, or a health care professional in the first, second, or third degree under section 28-929 , 28-930 , or 28-931 , respectively, or assault on an officer, an emergency responder, a state correctional employee, a Department of Health and Human Services employee, or a health care professional using a motor vehicle under section 28-931.01 ;

(i) Theft by unlawful taking or disposition under section 28-511 ;

(j) Theft by receiving stolen property under section 28-517 ;

(k) Theft by deception under section 28-512 ;

(l) Theft by extortion under section 28-513 ;

(m) Kidnapping under section 28-313 ;

(n) Any forgery offense under sections 28-602 to 28-605 ;

(o) Criminal impersonation under section 28-638 ;

(p) Tampering with a publicly exhibited contest under section 28-614 ;

(q) Unauthorized use of a financial transaction device or criminal possession of a financial transaction device under section 28-620 or 28-621 , respectively;

(r) Pandering under section 28-802 ;

(s) Bribery, bribery of a witness, or bribery of a juror under section 28-917 , 28-918 , or 28-920 , respectively;

(t) Tampering with a witness or an informant or jury tampering under section 28-919 ;

(u) Unauthorized application of graffiti under section 28-524 ;

(v) Dogfighting, cockfighting, bearbaiting, or pitting an animal against another under section 28-1005 ; or

(w) Promoting gambling in the first degree under section 28-1102 .

(2) Unlawful membership recruitment into an organization or association is a Class IV felony.

Laws 2009, LB63, § 21;

Laws 2014, LB811, § 23;

Laws 2018, LB990, § 4;

Laws 2023, LB77, § 14.

Uniform Controlled Substances Act, see section 28-401.01 .

This section is not so overbroad as to infringe First Amendment rights of association. State v. Scott, 284 Neb. 703, 824 N.W.2d 668 (2012).

This section is not so overbroad as to infringe First Amendment rights of association. State v. Scott, 284 Neb. 703, 824 N.W.2d 668 (2012).

This section requires that at the time of an alleged violation, the defendant had actual knowledge that members of a group engage in or have engaged in any of the specified criminal activities for the benefit of, at the direction of, or on behalf of the organization, group, enterprise, or association or any of its members. State v. Scott, 284 Neb. 703, 824 N.W.2d 668 (2012).

This section requires that at the time of an alleged violation, the defendant had actual knowledge that members of a group engage in or have engaged in any of the specified criminal activities for the benefit of, at the direction of, or on behalf of the organization, group, enterprise, or association or any of its members. State v. Scott, 284 Neb. 703, 824 N.W.2d 668 (2012).