§495 — Title 18 Crimes and Criminal Procedure | U.S. Code

Summary

Making, changing, forging, or faking any document—like a deed, power of attorney, order, certificate, receipt, contract, or other paper—to get money from the United States, or to help someone else get that money (directly or indirectly), is a crime. It is also a crime to knowingly claim a fake or altered paper is real, or to send or show such a paper to a U.S. office to support a claim, with the intent to cheat the United States. A person convicted can be fined, jailed for up to 10 years, or both.

Title 18, §495

Crimes and Criminal Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Whoever falsely makes, alters, forges, or counterfeits any deed, power of attorney, order, certificate, receipt, contract, or other writing, for the purpose of obtaining or receiving, or of enabling any other person, either directly or indirectly, to obtain or receive from the United States or any officers or agents thereof, any sum of money; or Whoever utters or publishes as true any such false, forged, altered, or counterfeited writing, with intent to defraud the United States, knowing the same to be false, altered, forged, or counterfeited; or Whoever transmits to, or presents at any office or officer of the United States, any such writing in support of, or in relation to, any account or claim, with intent to defraud the United States, knowing the same to be false, altered, forged, or counterfeited— Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 73 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, § 29, 35 Stat. 1094). Reference in first paragraph to persons causing, procuring, aiding or assisting was omitted as unnecessary as such persons are made principals by section 2 of this title. Mandatory punishment provision was rephrased in the alternative. Changes were made in phraseology.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1994—Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $1,000”.

§495 Contracts, Deeds, and Powers of Attorney