§2315 — Title 18 Crimes and Criminal Procedure | U.S. Code

Summary

Makes it a crime to knowingly receive, keep, hide, sell, trade, or use certain stolen or fake items that have crossed state lines or come from another country. The rule covers stolen goods, securities, or money worth $5,000 or more, and using or taking as loan collateral goods or securities worth $500 or more. It also covers forged or fake securities or state tax stamps that moved across borders, and tools made or fitted to make those fakes. It also covers stolen veterans’ memorial objects that crossed a border. Penalty is a fine, up to 10 years in prison, or both. If the crime involves a pre-retail medical product, the punishment follows the law for that product unless this rule gives a harsher penalty. If stolen veterans’ memorial objects in total are under $1,000, penalty is a fine, up to 1 year, or both. Does not apply to fake U.S. government obligations or to certain foreign government or foreign bank notes that are meant to be used as money. State means any U.S. state, the District of Columbia, or U.S. territory or possession. Veterans’ memorial object means a grave marker, headstone, monument, or similar item meant to honor a veteran or mark a veteran’s grave, or a monument tied to a national military event.

Title 18, §2315

Crimes and Criminal Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Whoever receives, possesses, conceals, stores, barters, sells, or disposes of any goods, wares, or merchandise, securities, or money of the value of $5,000 or more, or pledges or accepts as security for a loan any goods, wares, or merchandise, or securities, of the value of $500 or more, which have crossed a State or United States boundary after being stolen, unlawfully converted, or taken, knowing the same to have been stolen, unlawfully converted, or taken; or Whoever receives, possesses, conceals, stores, barters, sells, or disposes of any falsely made, forged, altered, or counterfeited securities or tax stamps, or pledges or accepts as security for a loan any falsely made, forged, altered, or counterfeited securities or tax stamps, moving as, or which are a part of, or which constitute interstate or foreign commerce, knowing the same to have been so falsely made, forged, altered, or counterfeited; or Whoever receives in interstate or foreign commerce, or conceals, stores, barters, sells, or disposes of, any tool, implement, or thing used or intended to be used in falsely making, forging, altering, or counterfeiting any security or tax stamp, or any part thereof, moving as, or which is a part of, or which constitutes interstate or foreign commerce, knowing that the same is fitted to be used, or has been used, in falsely making, forging, altering, or counterfeiting any security or tax stamp, or any part thereof; or ‘Whoever 11 So in original. The quotation mark probably should not appear. receives, possesses, conceals, stores, barters, sells, or disposes of any veterans’ memorial object which has crossed a State or United States boundary after being stolen, unlawfully converted, or taken, knowing the same to have been stolen, unlawfully converted, or taken—’ 1 Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both. If the offense involves a pre-retail medical product (as defined in section 670) the punishment for the offense shall be the same as the punishment for an offense under section 670 unless the punishment under this section is greater. If the offense involves the receipt, possession, concealment, storage, barter, sale, or disposal of veterans’ memorial objects with a value, in the aggregate, of less than $1,000, the defendant shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both. This section shall not apply to any falsely made, forged, altered, counterfeited, or spurious representation of an obligation or other security of the United States or of an obligation, bond, certificate, security, treasury note, bill, promise to pay, or bank note, issued by any foreign government. This section also shall not apply to any falsely made, forged, altered, counterfeited, or spurious representation of any bank note or bill issued by a bank or corporation of any foreign country which is intended by the laws or usage of such country to circulate as money. For purposes of this section, the term “State” includes a State of the United States, the District of Columbia, and any commonwealth, territory, or possession of the United States. For purposes of this section the term “veterans’ memorial object” means a grave marker, headstone, monument, or other object, intended to permanently honor a veteran or mark a veteran’s grave, or any monument that signifies an event of national military historical significance.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 416 (May 22, 1934, ch. 333, § 4, 48 Stat. 795; Aug. 3, 1939, ch. 413, § 2, 53 Stat. 1178). (See reviser’s notes under section 10, 2311 and 2314 of this title for explanation of consolidation or omission of other sections of title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., which were derived from the National Stolen Property Act.) Minor changes were made in phraseology.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2013—Pub. L. 112–239, § 1084(b)(4), inserted at end “For purposes of this section the term ‘veterans’ memorial object’ means a grave marker, headstone, monument, or other object, intended to permanently honor a veteran or mark a veteran’s grave, or any monument that signifies an event of national military historical significance.” Pub. L. 112–239, § 1084(b)(3), inserted at end of fifth par. “If the offense involves the receipt, possession, concealment, storage, barter, sale, or disposal of veterans’ memorial objects with a value, in the aggregate, of less than $1,000, the defendant shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.” Pub. L. 112–239, § 1084(b)(1), (2), inserted fourth par. relating to veterans’ memorial objects. 2012—Pub. L. 112–186 inserted at end of fourth par. “If the offense involves a pre-retail medical product (as defined in section 670) the punishment for the offense shall be the same as the punishment for an offense under section 670 unless the punishment under this section is greater.” 1994—Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $10,000” in fourth par. 1990—Pub. L. 101–647 inserted par. at end defining “State”. 1988—Pub. L. 100–690, § 7048, substituted “moving as, or which are a part of, or which constitute interstate or foreign commerce” for “which have crossed a State or United States boundary after being stolen, unlawfully converted, or taken” in second par. Pub. L. 100–690, § 7057(b), struck out “or by a bank or corporation of any foreign country” after “foreign government” in last par. and inserted at end “This section also shall not apply to any falsely made, forged, altered, counterfeited, or spurious representation of any bank note or bill issued by a bank or corporation of any foreign country which is intended by the laws or usage of such country to circulate as money.” 1986—Pub. L. 99–646 substituted “receives, possesses, conceals” for “receives, conceals” and “which have crossed a State or United States boundary after being stolen, unlawfully converted, or taken” for “moving as, or which are part of, or which constitute interstate or foreign commerce” in first and second pars. 1961—Pub. L. 87–371 inserted “or tax stamps” after “securities”, wherever appearing, in second par., and “or tax stamp” after “security”, wherever appearing, in third par., and substituted “moneys, or fraudulent State tax stamps” for “or monies” in section catchline.

§2315 Sale or receipt of stolen goods, securities, moneys, or fraudulent State tax stamps