Title 18Crimes and Criminal ProcedureRelease 119-73not60

§1518 Obstruction of Criminal Investigations of Health Care Offenses

Title 18 › Part I— CRIMES › Chapter 73— OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE › § 1518

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

Hiding, lying, delaying, or trying to stop information about a federal health-care crime from a criminal investigator (an authorized federal investigator) is illegal and can bring fines or up to 5 years in prison.

Full Legal Text

Title 18, §1518

Crimes and Criminal Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Whoever willfully prevents, obstructs, misleads, delays or attempts to prevent, obstruct, mislead, or delay the communication of information or records relating to a violation of a Federal health care offense to a criminal investigator shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.
(b)As used in this section the term “criminal investigator” means any individual duly authorized by a department, agency, or armed force of the United States to conduct or engage in investigations for prosecutions for violations of health care offenses.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

18 U.S.C. § 1518

Title 18Crimes and Criminal Procedure

Last Updated

Apr 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60