Obstruction of justice — Witness tampering through intimidation, threats, or corrupt persuasion (18 U.S.C. Sec. 1512(b)(1) and (2)) -revised 11/2013 is a federal criminal offense. It involves any attempt to influence, intimidate, or otherwise interfere with the testimony of a witness or victim in an official proceeding. This can include threats, bribes, or other forms of coercion to keep a witness from providing truthful information, or to influence the content of their testimony. This type of obstruction of justice is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. There are two main types of witness tampering through intimidation, threats, or corrupt persuasion: direct and indirect. Direct witness tampering involves directly communicating with the witness to influence their testimony, while indirect witness tampering occurs when someone attempts to influence a witness' testimony through a third party. Additionally, the federal statute provides for a separate offense of attempted witness tampering, which is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.