Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal ProcedureRelease 119-73
§651 Disbursing officer falsely certifying full payment
Title 18 › Part PART I— - CRIMES › Chapter CHAPTER 31— - EMBEZZLEMENT AND THEFT › § 651
Summary
A government officer who accepts or sends a creditor’s receipt without paying the full amount to that creditor can be fined or fined double the amount withheld (whichever is larger), jailed up to two years, or both. If $1,000 or less is withheld, jail is up to one year.
Full Legal Text
Title 18, §651
Crimes and Criminal Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Whoever, being an officer charged with the disbursement of the public moneys, accepts, receives, or transmits to the Government Accountability Office to be allowed in his favor any receipt or voucher from a creditor of the United States without having paid the full amount specified therein to such creditor in such funds as the officer received for disbursement, or in such funds as he may be authorized by law to take in exchange, shall be fined under this title or in double the amount so withheld, whichever is greater, or imprisoned not more than two years, or both; but if the amount withheld does not exceed $1,000, he 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., § 181 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, § 95, 35 Stat. 1106; June 10, 1921, ch. 18, § 304, 42 Stat. 24). The penalty provided by section 652 of this title, a similar section, was incorporated in this section. (For explanation of the smaller penalty for an offense involving $100 or less, see reviser’s notes under section 641 and 645 of this title.) Minor changes were made in phraseology.
Editorial Notes
Amendments
2004—Pub. L. 108–271 substituted “Government Accountability Office” for “General Accounting Office”. 1996—Pub. L. 104–294 substituted “$1,000” for “$100”. 1994—Pub. L. 103–322, § 330016(2)(G), substituted “shall be fined under this title or in double the amount so withheld, whichever is greater, or imprisoned” for “shall be fined in double the amount so withheld or imprisoned”. Pub. L. 103–322, § 330016(1)(H), substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $1,000” after “he shall be”.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
18 U.S.C. § 651
Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal Procedure
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73