Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal ProcedureRelease 119-73
§1861 Deception of prospective purchasers
Title 18 › Part PART I— - CRIMES › Chapter CHAPTER 91— - PUBLIC LANDS › § 1861
Summary
If a person takes money to help someone find public U.S. land and then lies on purpose or recklessly about a tract being public land or about its exact surveyed description, and that lie fools the buyer or settler, the person can be fined, put in jail for up to one year, or both.
Full Legal Text
Title 18, §1861
Crimes and Criminal Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Whoever, for a reward paid or promised to him in that behalf, undertakes to locate for an intending purchaser, settler, or entryman any public lands of the United States subject to disposition under the public-land laws, and who willfully and falsely represents to such intending purchaser, settler, or entryman that any tract of land shown to him is public land of the United States subject to sale, settlement, or entry, or that it is of a particular surveyed description, with intent to deceive the person to whom such representation is made, or who, in reckless disregard of the truth, falsely represents to any such person that any tract of land shown to him is public land of the United States subject to sale, settlement, or entry, or that it is of a particular surveyed description, thereby deceiving the person to whom such representation is made, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 114 (Feb. 23, 1917, ch. 115, 39 Stat. 936). Words “deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and” which preceded “punished” were omitted as unnecessary in view of definitive section 1 of this title. Minor changes were made in phraseology.
Editorial Notes
Amendments
1994—Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $300”.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
18 U.S.C. § 1861
Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal Procedure
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73