Title 18, Crimes and Criminal ProcedureRelease 119-102
§663 Solicitation or Use of Gifts
Title 18 › PART I — CRIMES › CHAPTER 31 — EMBEZZLEMENT AND THEFT › § 663
Summary
Asking for money or property as a donation for the United States while planning to steal or use it for something else, or stealing or misusing donations after getting them, can be punished by a fine, up to five years in prison, or both.
Full Legal Text
Title 18, §663
Crimes and Criminal Procedure, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Whoever solicits any gift of money or other property, and represents that such gift is being solicited for the use of the United States, with the intention of embezzling, stealing, or purloining such gift, or converting the same to any other use or purpose, or whoever, having come into possession of any money or property which has been donated by the owner thereof for the use of the United States, embezzles, steals or purloins such money or property, or converts the same to any other use or purpose, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
Based on section 641e of title 50, App. U.S.C., 1940 ed., War and National Defense (Mar. 27, 1942, 3 p. m., E. W. T., c. 199, Title XI, § 1106, 56 Stat. 184). This section was taken from the Second War Powers Act of 1942, which was temporary legislation. However, the subject matter was so independent of the war effort as to warrant its inclusion in this title as a permanent provision. Words “shall be guilty of a felony” were omitted. See Reviser’s Note under section 550 of this title. Words “and upon conviction thereof” were omitted as unnecessary since punishment cannot be imposed until a conviction is secured.
Editorial Notes
Amendments
1994—Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $5,000”.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
18 U.S.C. § 663
Title 18, Crimes and Criminal Procedure
Last Updated
Aug 21, 2026
Release point: 119-102