18 U.S. Code § 241 criminalizes when two or more people “conspire to injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate” any Americans “in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege” they’re afforded under the Constitution or federal law, or conspire to oppress them because they exercised that right.

The conspiracy does not actually have to be successful in order to violate Section 241, the DOJ notes, and violations of the statute are punishable by a fine or up to ten years in prison, unless the act results in death or involves kidnapping, aggravated sexual abuse or attempted killing, in which case it could result in life imprisonment or even the death penalty.