18-U.S.C.-506
§506 – Seals of Departments Or Agencies
Pathway
Title 18 > Part I > Chapter 25 > Section 506
Details
- Reference: Section 506
- Legend: §506 – Seals of Departments Or Agencies
- USCode Year: 2013
Provision Content
(a) Whoever—
(1) falsely makes, forges, counterfeits, mutilates, or alters the seal of any department or agency of the United States, or any facsimile thereof;
(2) knowingly uses, affixes, or impresses any such fraudulently made, forged, counterfeited, mutilated, or altered seal or facsimile thereof to or upon any certificate, instrument, commission, document, or paper of any description; or
(3) with fraudulent intent, possesses, sells, offers for sale, furnishes, offers to furnish, gives away, offers to give away, transports, offers to transport, imports, or offers to import any such seal or facsimile thereof, knowing the same to have been so falsely made, forged, counterfeited, mutilated, or altered,
shall be fined under this title, or imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.
(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a) or any other provision of law, if a forged, counterfeited, mutilated, or altered seal of a department or agency of the United States, or any facsimile thereof, is—
(1) so forged, counterfeited, mutilated, or altered;
(2) used, affixed, or impressed to or upon any certificate, instrument, commission, document, or paper of any description; or
(3) with fraudulent intent, possessed, sold, offered for sale, furnished, offered to furnish, given away, offered to give away, transported, offered to transport, imported, or offered to import,
with the intent or effect of facilitating an aliens application for, or receipt of, a Federal benefit to which the alien is not entitled, the penalties which may be imposed for each offense under subsection (a) shall be two times the maximum fine, and 3 times the maximum term of imprisonment, or both, that would otherwise be imposed for an offense under subsection (a).
(c) For purposes of this section—
(1) the term Federal benefit means—
(A) the issuance of any grant, contract, loan, professional license, or commercial license provided by any agency of the United States or by appropriated funds of the United States; and
(B) any retirement, welfare, Social Security, health (including treatment of an emergency medical condition in accordance with section 1903(v) of the Social Security Act (19 or unemployment benefit, or any similar benefit for which payments or assistance are provided by an agency of the United States or by appropriated funds of the United States; and
(2) each instance of forgery, counterfeiting, mutilation, or alteration shall constitute a separate offense under this section.
(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 714; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, §330016(1)(K), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147; Pub. L. 104–208, div. C, title V, §561, Sept. 30, 1996, 110 Stat. 3009–681; Pub. L. 110–234, title IV, §4002(b)(1)(E), (2)(M), May 22, 2008, 122 Stat. 1096, 1097; Pub. L. 110–246, §4(a), title IV, §4002(b)(1)(E), (2)(M), June 18, 2008, 122 Stat. 1664, 1857, 1858.)
Historical and revision Notes
Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., §131 (June 15, 1917, ch. 30, title X, §2, 40 Stat. 228).
Reference to persons causing, procuring, aiding or assisting was omitted as unnecessary as such persons are made principals by section 2 of this title.
In view of definitions of department and agency in section 6 of this title, words department or agency in first paragraph were substituted for executive department, or any bureau, commission, or office.
Provision for 10 years’ imprisonment was reduced to 5 years to conform to punishment provision in section 505 of this title, covering an offense of like gravity.
Minor changes in phraseology were also made.
Codification
Pub. L. 110–234 and Pub. L. 110–246 made identical amendments to this section. The amendments by Pub. L. 110–234 were repealed by section 4(a) of Pub. L. 110–246.
Amendments
2008—Subsec. (c)(1)(B). Pub. L. 110–246, §4002(b)(1)(E), (2)(M), substituted supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits for food stamps.
1996—Pub. L. 104–208 reenacted section catchline without change and amended text generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows:
Whoever falsely makes, forges, counterfeits, mutilates, or alters the seal of any department or agency of the United States; or
Whoever knowingly uses, affixes, or impresses any such fraudulently made, forged, counterfeited, mutilated, or altered seal to or upon any certificate, instrument, commission, document, or paper, of any description; or
Whoever, with fraudulent intent, possesses any such seal, knowing the same to have been so falsely made, forged, counterfeited, mutilated, or altered—
Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.
1994—Pub. L. 103–322 substituted fined under this title for fined not more than $5,000.
Effective Date of 2008 Amendment
Amendment of this section and repeal of Pub. L. 110–234 by Pub. L. 110–246 effective May 22, 2008, the date of enactment of Pub. L. 110–234, except as otherwise provided, see section 4 of Pub. L. 110–246, set out as an Effective Date note under section 8701 of Title 7, Agriculture.
Amendment by section 4002(b)(1)(E), (2)(M) of Pub. L. 110–246 effective Oct. 1, 2008, see section 4407 of Pub. L. 110–246, set out as a note under section 1161 of Title 2, The Congress.
U.S. Encyclopedia of Law Coverage
18-U.S.C.-504 in the Legal Encyclopedia: Criminal Law
In this entry about 18-U.S.C.-504, find legal reference material, bibliographies and premiere content related to criminal law in the American Encyclopedia of Law, presenting a comprehensive view of the United States criminal law-specific issues, written by authorities in the field.
18-U.S.C.-494 in the Legal Encyclopedia: Crimes
In this entry about 18-U.S.C.-494, find legal reference material, bibliographies and premiere content related to crimes in the American Encyclopedia of Law, presenting a comprehensive view of the United States crimes-specific issues, written by authorities in the field.
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