Title 18, Crimes and Criminal ProcedureRelease 119-110
§21 Stolen or Counterfeit Nature of Property for Certain Crimes Defined
Title 18 › PART I — CRIMES › CHAPTER 1 — GENERAL PROVISIONS › § 21
Summary
If a crime says the person knew the property was stolen, forged, fake, changed, or otherwise wrongfully taken or handled, that knowledge can be proved if the person believed the property was that way after or because a federal law officer (or someone acting for that officer) told them so. "Official representation" means a statement made by a federal law enforcement officer, or by someone acting under that officer's direction or with their approval.
Full Legal Text
Title 18, §21
Crimes and Criminal Procedure, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)Wherever in this title it is an element of an offense that—
(1)any property was embezzled, robbed, stolen, converted, taken, altered, counterfeited, falsely made, forged, or obliterated; and
(2)the defendant knew that the property was of such character;
such element may be established by proof that the defendant, after or as a result of an official representation as to the nature of the property, believed the property to be embezzled, robbed, stolen, converted, taken, altered, counterfeited, falsely made, forged, or obliterated.
(b)For purposes of this section, the term “official representation” means any representation made by a Federal law enforcement officer (as defined in section 115) or by another person at the direction or with the approval of such an officer.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
18 U.S.C. § 21
Title 18, Crimes and Criminal Procedure
Last Updated
Sep 22, 2026
Release point: 119-110