Title 18, Crimes and Criminal ProcedureRelease 119-110
§157 Bankruptcy Fraud
Title 18 › PART I — CRIMES › CHAPTER 9 — BANKRUPTCY › § 157
Summary
Creating or trying to carry out a plan to cheat using bankruptcy is a crime. If someone does this by filing bankruptcy papers, filing documents in a bankruptcy case, or lying about a bankruptcy case (before or after filing, or claiming one is pending), they can be fined, jailed up to 5 years, or both.
Full Legal Text
Title 18, §157
Crimes and Criminal Procedure, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
A person who, having devised or intending to devise a scheme or artifice to defraud and for the purpose of executing or concealing such a scheme or artifice or attempting to do so—
(1)files a petition under title 11, including a fraudulent involuntary petition under section 303 of such title;
(2)files a document in a proceeding under title 11; or
(3)makes a false or fraudulent representation, claim, or promise concerning or in relation to a proceeding under title 11, at any time before or after the filing of the petition, or in relation to a proceeding falsely asserted to be pending under such title,
shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Amendments
2010—Par. (1). Pub. L. 111–327, § 2(b)(1), struck out “bankruptcy” after “involuntary”. Pars. (2), (3). Pub. L. 111–327, § 2(b)(2), struck out “, including a fraudulent involuntary bankruptcy petition under section 303 of such title” after “title 11”. 2005—Pars. (1) to (3). Pub. L. 109–8, which directed insertion of “, including a fraudulent involuntary bankruptcy petition under section 303 of such title” after “title 11”, was executed by making the insertion after “title 11” wherever appearing, to reflect the probable intent of Congress.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 2005 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 109–8 effective 180 days after Apr. 20, 2005, and not applicable with respect to cases commenced under Title 11, Bankruptcy, before such
Effective Date
, except as otherwise provided, see section 1501 of Pub. L. 109–8, set out as a note under section 101 of Title 11.
Effective Date
Section 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 an
Effective Date
of 1994 Amendment note under section 101 of Title 11.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
18 U.S.C. § 157
Title 18, Crimes and Criminal Procedure
Last Updated
Sep 22, 2026
Release point: 119-110