§1511 — Title 18 Crimes and Criminal Procedure | U.S. Code

Summary

Makes it a crime for two or more people to plan together to block or interfere with state or local law enforcement to help an illegal gambling business. It is illegal when at least one person takes a step to carry out the plan, at least one conspirator is a state or local official or employee, and at least one is involved in running, financing, managing, supervising, directing, or owning the illegal gambling business. An "illegal gambling business" is a gambling operation that breaks state or local law, involves five or more people who run or own it, and has run more than thirty days or made $2,000 in one day. Gambling covers things like bookmaking, slot machines, lotteries, roulette or dice games, and numbers-style games. "State" includes any U.S. state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and U.S. territories or possessions. The rule does not apply to bingo, lotteries, or similar games run by an organization exempt from tax under paragraph (3) of subsection (c) of section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, if no part of the money goes to private shareholders, members, or employees except to pay actual expenses. Violators face a fine, up to five years in prison, or both.

Title 18, §1511

Crimes and Criminal Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)It shall be unlawful for two or more persons to conspire to obstruct the enforcement of the criminal laws of a State or political subdivision thereof, with the intent to facilitate an illegal gambling business if—

(1)one or more of such persons does any act to effect the object of such a conspiracy;

(2)one or more of such persons is an official or employee, elected, appointed, or otherwise, of such State or political subdivision; and

(3)one or more of such persons conducts, finances, manages, supervises, directs, or owns all or part of an illegal gambling business.

(b)As used in this section—

(1)“illegal gambling business” means a gambling business which—

(i)is a violation of the law of a State or political subdivision in which it is conducted;

(ii)involves five or more persons who conduct, finance, manage, supervise, direct, or own all or part of such business; and

(iii)has been or remains in substantially continuous operation for a period in excess of thirty days or has a gross revenue of $2,000 in any single day.

(2)“gambling” includes but is not limited to pool-selling, bookmaking, maintaining slot machines, roulette wheels, or dice tables, and conducting lotteries, policy, bolita or numbers games, or selling chances therein.

(3)“State” means any State of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and any territory or possession of the United States.

(c)This section shall not apply to any bingo game, lottery, or similar game of chance conducted by an organization exempt from tax under paragraph (3) of subsection (c) of section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, if no part of the gross receipts derived from such activity inures to the benefit of any private shareholder, member, or employee of such organization, except as compensation for actual expenses incurred by him in the conduct of such activity.

(d)Whoever violates this section shall be punished by a fine under this title or imprisonment for not more than five years, or both.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Paragraph (3) of subsection (c) of section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, referred to in subsec. (c), is classified to section 501(c)(3) of Title 26, Internal Revenue Code.

Amendments

1994—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “fine under this title” for “fine of not more than $20,000”. 1986—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 99–514 substituted “Internal Revenue Code of 1986” for “Internal Revenue Code of 1954”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Congressional Statement of Findings Pub. L. 91–452, title VIII, § 801, Oct. 15, 1970, 84 Stat. 936, provided that: “The Congress finds that illegal gambling involves widespread use of, and has an effect upon, interstate commerce and the facilities thereof.” Priority of State Laws Pub. L. 91–452, title VIII, § 811, Oct. 15, 1970, 84 Stat. 940, provided that: “No provision of this title [enacting this section and section 1955 of this title, amending section 2516 of this title, and enacting provisions set out as notes under this section and section 1955 of this title] indicates an intent on the part of the Congress to occupy the field in which such provision operates to the exclusion of the law of a state or possession, or a political subdivision of a State or possession, on the same subject matter, or to relieve any person of any obligation imposed by any law of any State or possession, or political subdivision of a State or possession.”

§1511 Obstruction of State or local law enforcement