18 U.S.C. § 285 — Taking or using papers relating to claims

submitted 78 years ago by ch. 645 to r/title-18-CRIMES-AND-CRIMINAL-PROCEDURE · 201 words · no verdicts yet

in plain englishAI-generated · not legal advice

It's a crime to take, without permission, official U.S. documents used to get payment from the government or to support a claim against it. It's also a crime to use or try to use such a stolen document for that purpose. Either crime carries a fine or up to five years in prison, or both.

It is a crime to take and carry away, without authority, any document filed, deposited, or kept by the United States — like a certificate, affidavit, deposition, receipt, or similar paper — when that document was meant to be used to get a payment from the government, or to support the allowance or payment of a claim, account, or demand against the United States. This applies whether or not the document has already been used for that purpose, and whether or not the related claim has already been allowed or paid. It is also a crime to present, use, or attempt to use such a stolen document to get a payment from the United States, or to get a claim, account, or demand against the United States allowed or paid. Either crime is punished by a fine under this title, or imprisonment for up to five years, or both.

the actual law source: uscode.house.gov ↗public domain

Whoever, without authority, takes and carries away from the place where it was filed, deposited, or kept by authority of the United States, any certificate, affidavit, deposition, statement of facts, power of attorney, receipt, voucher, assignment, or other document, record, file, or paper prepared, fitted, or intended to be used or presented to procure the payment of money from or by the United States or any officer, employee, or agent thereof, or the allowance or payment of the whole or any part of any claim, account, or demand against the United States, whether the same has or has not already been so used or presented, and whether such claim, account, or demand, or any part thereof has or has not already been allowed or paid; or

Whoever presents, uses, or attempts to use any such document, record, file, or paper so taken and carried away, to procure the payment of any money from or by the United States, or any officer, employee, or agent thereof, or the allowance or payment of the whole or any part of any claim, account, or demand against the United States—

Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.

Source credit: (June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 698; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(K), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147.)

history & why it existsrecord from the source credit

1948Enacted · Act of June 25, 1948, ch. 645 · 62 Stat. 698
1994Amended · Pub. L. 103-322 · 108 Stat. 2147

A history note hasn’t been published yet. The record shows enactment by ch. 645 on 1948-06-25.

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