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CITE

    18 USC Sec. 500                                             01/05/2009

EXPCITE

    TITLE 18 - CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
    PART I - CRIMES
    CHAPTER 25 - COUNTERFEITING AND FORGERY

HEAD

    Sec. 500. Money orders

STATUTE

      Whoever, with intent to defraud, falsely makes, forges,
    counterfeits, engraves, or prints any order in imitation of or
    purporting to be a blank money order or a money order issued by or
    under the direction of the Post Office Department or Postal
    Service; or
      Whoever forges or counterfeits the signature or initials of any
    person authorized to issue money orders upon or to any money order,
    postal note, or blank therefor provided or issued by or under the
    direction of the Post Office Department or Postal Service, or post
    office department or corporation of any foreign country, and
    payable in the United States, or any material signature or
    indorsement thereon, or any material signature to any receipt or
    certificate of identification thereof; or
      Whoever falsely alters, in any material respect, any such money
    order or postal note; or
      Whoever, with intent to defraud, passes, utters or publishes or
    attempts to pass, utter or publish any such forged or altered money
    order or postal note, knowing any material initials, signature,
    stamp impression or indorsement thereon to be false, forged, or
    counterfeited, or any material alteration therein to have been
    falsely made; or
      Whoever issues any money order or postal note without having
    previously received or paid the full amount of money payable
    therefor, with the purpose of fraudulently obtaining or receiving,
    or fraudulently enabling any other person, either directly or
    indirectly, to obtain or receive from the United States or Postal
    Service, or any officer, employee, or agent thereof, any sum of
    money whatever; or
      Whoever embezzles, steals, or knowingly converts to his own use
    or to the use of another, or without authority converts or disposes
    of any blank money order form provided by or under the authority of
    the Post Office Department or Postal Service; or
      Whoever receives or possesses any such money order form with the
    intent to convert it to his own use or gain or use or gain of
    another knowing it to have been embezzled, stolen or converted; or
      Whoever, with intent to defraud the United States, the Postal
    Service, or any person, transmits, presents, or causes to be
    transmitted or presented, any money order or postal note knowing
    the same -
        (1) to contain any forged or counterfeited signature, initials,
      or any stamped impression, or
        (2) to contain any material alteration therein unlawfully made,
      or
        (3) to have been unlawfully issued without previous payment of
      the amount required to be paid upon such issue, or
        (4) to have been stamped without lawful authority; or
      Whoever steals, or with intent to defraud or without being
    lawfully authorized by the Post Office Department or Postal
    Service, receives, possesses, disposes of or attempts to dispose of
    any postal money order machine or any stamp, tool, or instrument
    specifically designed to be used in preparing or filling out the
    blanks on postal money order forms -
      Shall be fined under this title (!1) or imprisoned not more than
    five years, or both.

SOURCE

    (June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 712; Pub. L. 91-375, Sec.
    6(j)(5), Aug. 12, 1970, 84 Stat. 777; Pub. L. 92-430, Sept. 23,
    1972, 86 Stat. 722; Pub. L. 103-322, title XXXIII, Sec.
    330016(1)(L), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147.)

HISTORICAL AND REVISION NOTES

      Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Sec. 347 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch.
    321, Sec. 218, 35 Stat. 1131).
      References to persons causing, procuring, aiding or assisting
    were omitted as unnecessary as such persons are made principals by
    section 2 of this title.
      Changes were made in phraseology.
                                AMENDMENTS
      1994 - Pub. L. 103-322, which directed the amendment of this
    section by substituting "fined under this title" for "fined not
    more than $10,000", was executed by making the substitution for
    "fined not more than $5,000" in last par., to reflect the probable
    intent of Congress.
      1972 - Pub. L. 92-430 substituted "a blank money order or a money
    order issued by or under the direction of" for "a money order
    issued by" and struck out ", or by any officer or employee thereof"
    in first par.; substituted "or initials of any person authorized to
    issue money orders" for "of any officer or employee of the Postal
    Service," in second par.; inserted "or attempts to pass, utter or
    publish" before "any such forged" and substituted "material
    initials, signature, stamp impression" for "material signature" in
    fourth par.; inserted "or Postal Service" after "the United States"
    in fifth par.; inserted sixth and seventh pars.; inserted ", the
    Postal Service" after "the United States", and substituted
    "presents, or causes to be transmitted or presented, any money
    order" for "or presents to any officer or employee, or at any
    office of the United States, any money order" and designated
    material after "knowing the same" as cls. (1) to (3) with minor
    changes and added cl. (4) in eighth par.; inserted ninth par., and
    enacted provisions of former seventh par. as tenth par.
      1970 - Pub. L. 91-375 inserted reference to Postal Service and
    substituted "officer or employee" for "postmaster or agent" in
    first par. and substituted "officer or employee of the Postal
    Service" for "postmaster, assistant postmaster, chief clerk, or
    clerk" and "Post Office Department or the Postal Service, or post
    office department or corporation of any foreign country" for "Post
    Office Department of the United States, or of any foreign country"
    in second par.

CHANGE OF NAME

      Post Office Department redesignated United States Postal Service
    pursuant to Pub. L. 91-375, Sec. 6(o), Aug. 12, 1970, 84 Stat. 733,
    set out as a note preceding section 101 of Title 39, Postal
    Service.

MISCELLANEOUS

                     EFFECTIVE DATE OF 1970 AMENDMENT
      Amendment by Pub. L. 91-375 effective within 1 year after Aug.
    12, 1970, on date established therefor by the Board of Governors of
    the United States Postal Service and published by it in the Federal
    Register, see section 15(a) of Pub. L. 91-375, set out as an
    Effective Date note preceding section 101 of Title 39, Postal
    Service.

FOOTNOTE

    (!1) See 1994 Amendment note below.