No not ever, under any circumstances, even suggesting to someone you might do something like this to them could land you in jail for a long time (private person

No not ever, under any circumstances, even suggesting to someone you might do something like this to them could land you in jail for a long time (private persons, companies) Yes, with essentially no limitations (government). Which is why they use long-term incarceration (months, sometimes up to 2 years) to make it easier for them to schedule things. Please don't think that the justice/jail system is the only example of this. Look into the powers the IRS has, other financial regulators have, or youth services, or mental health, or ...