Title 18Crimes and Criminal ProcedureRelease 119-73

§1163 Embezzlement and theft from Indian tribal organizations

Title 18 › Part PART I— - CRIMES › Chapter CHAPTER 53— - INDIANS › § 1163

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Punishes anyone who takes, steals, uses for themselves or someone else, misuses, or lets others misuse money or property that belongs to a tribe or is held by a tribe’s officers, employees, or agents. It also punishes anyone who knows the property was taken and then receives, hides, or keeps it intending to use it. The penalty is a fine, up to 5 years in prison, or both. If the property is worth $1,000 or less, the prison term is up to 1 year (or a fine, or both). "Indian tribal organization" means a tribe, band, community, or group formed under federal Indian laws.

Full Legal Text

Title 18, §1163

Crimes and Criminal Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Whoever embezzles, steals, knowingly converts to his use or the use of another, willfully misapplies, or willfully permits to be misapplied, any of the moneys, funds, credits, goods, assets, or other property belonging to any Indian tribal organization or intrusted to the custody or care of any officer, employee, or agent of an Indian tribal organization; or Whoever, knowing any such moneys, funds, credits, goods, assets, or other property to have been so embezzled, stolen, converted, misapplied or permitted to be misapplied, receives, conceals, or retains the same with intent to convert it to his use or the use of another— Shall be fined under this title, or imprisoned not more than five years, or both; but if the value of such property does not exceed the sum of $1,000, he shall be fined under this title, or imprisoned not more than one year, or both. As used in this section, the term “Indian tribal organization” means any tribe, band, or community of Indians which is subject to the laws of the United States relating to Indian affairs or any corporation, association, or group which is organized under any of such laws.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1996—Pub. L. 104–294 substituted “$1,000” for “$100” in third par. 1994—Pub. L. 103–322, in third par., substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $5,000” after “Shall be” and for “fined not more than $1,000” after “he shall be”.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

18 U.S.C. § 1163

Title 18Crimes and Criminal Procedure

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73