Title 18Crimes and Criminal ProcedureRelease 119-73

§154 Adverse interest and conduct of officers

Title 18 › Part PART I— - CRIMES › Chapter CHAPTER 9— - BANKRUPTCY › § 154

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

It makes it illegal for a custodian, trustee, marshal, or similar court officer in a Title 11 case to intentionally: buy estate property; block court-ordered inspections of the estate’s records by interested parties; or block inspections by the United States Trustee.

Full Legal Text

Title 18, §154

Crimes and Criminal Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

A person who, being a custodian, trustee, marshal, or other officer of the court—
(1)knowingly purchases, directly or indirectly, any property of the estate of which the person is such an officer in a case under title 11;
(2)knowingly refuses to permit a reasonable opportunity for the inspection by parties in interest of the documents and accounts relating to the affairs of estates in the person’s charge by parties when directed by the court to do so; or
(3)knowingly refuses to permit a reasonable opportunity for the inspection by the United States Trustee of the documents and accounts relating to the affairs of an estate in the person’s charge,

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Based on section 52(c) of title 11, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Bankruptcy (
July 1, 1898, ch. 541, § 29c, 30 Stat. 554;
June 22, 1938, ch. 575, § 1 (part), 52 Stat. 856). Minor changes were made in phraseology.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1996—Pub. L. 104–294 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $5,000” in closing provisions. 1994—Pub. L. 103–394 amended section generally. Prior to amendment, section read as follows: “Whoever, being a custodian, trustee, marshal, or other officer of the court, knowingly purchases, directly or indirectly, any property of the estate of which he is such officer in a case under title 11; or “Whoever being such officer, knowingly refuses to permit a reasonable opportunity for the inspection of the documents and accounts relating to the affairs of estates in his charge by parties in interest when directed by the court to do so— “Shall be fined under this title, and shall forfeit his office, which shall thereupon become vacant.” Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $500” in third par. 1978—Pub. L. 95–598 struck out “referees and other” before “officers” in section catchline, and in text struck out “Whoever knowingly acts as a referee in a case in which he is directly or indirectly interested; or” before “Whoever, being a” and “referee, receiver,” before “custodian” and substituted “case under title 11” for “bankruptcy proceeding”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1994 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 103–394 effective Oct. 22, 1994, and not applicable with respect to cases commenced under Title 11, Bankruptcy, before Oct. 22, 1994, see section 702 of Pub. L. 103–394, set out as a note under section 101 of Title 11.

Effective Date

of 1978 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 95–598 effective Oct. 1, 1979, see section 402(a) of Pub. L. 95–598, set out as an

Effective Date

note preceding section 101 of Title 11, Bankruptcy.

Savings Provision

Amendment by section 314 of Pub. L. 95–598 not to affect the application of chapter 9 (§ 151 et seq.), chapter 96 (§ 1961 et seq.), or section 2516, 3057, or 3284 of this title to any act of any person (1) committed before Oct. 1, 1979, or (2) committed after Oct. 1, 1979, in connection with a case commenced before such date, see section 403(d) of Pub. L. 95–598, set out as a note preceding section 101 of Title 11, Bankruptcy.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

18 U.S.C. § 154

Title 18Crimes and Criminal Procedure

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73