18 U.S.C. § 2155: Destruction of national-defen…

Summary

Anyone who deliberately damages, destroys, contaminates, infects, or tries to do those things to materials, buildings, or utilities used for U.S. national defense, and who means to harm or block the defense, can be fined under federal law or jailed up to 20 years, or both. If someone dies because of the act, the person can be imprisoned for any number of years or for life. If two or more people agree to commit this and at least one of them takes a step to carry it out, everyone in the plan faces the same punishment.

Title 18, §2155

Crimes and Criminal Procedure, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Whoever, with intent to injure, interfere with, or obstruct the national defense of the United States, willfully injures, destroys, contaminates or infects, or attempts to so injure, destroy, contaminate or infect any national-defense material, national-defense premises, or national-defense utilities, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both, and, if death results to any person, shall be imprisoned for any term of years or for life.

(b)If two or more persons conspire to violate this section, and one or more of such persons do any act to effect the object of the conspiracy, each of the parties to such conspiracy shall be punished as provided in subsection (a) of this section.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Based on section 105 of title 50, U.S.C., 1940 ed., War and National Defense (Apr. 20, 1918, ch. 59, § 5, as added Nov. 30, 1940, ch. 926, 54 Stat. 1221). Words “upon conviction thereof” were omitted as unnecessary, since punishment cannot be imposed until a conviction is secured. Minor changes were made in phraseology.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2001—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 107–56 substituted “20 years” for “ten years” and inserted “, and, if death results to any person, shall be imprisoned for any term of years or for life” before period at end. 1996—Pub. L. 104–294 substituted “, or” for “or” in section catchline. 1994—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $10,000”. 1954—Act Sept. 3, 1954, inserted conspiracy provisions.

§2155 Destruction of National-defense Materials, National-defense Premises, or National-defense Utilities