Federal · Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal Procedure

18 U.S.C. § 1025: False pretenses on high seas and other waters

Felony

What this law says, in plain English

Federal law prohibits obtaining property or financial documents through fraud or false pretenses on U.S. waters or vessels. Penalties range up to five years imprisonment; lesser offenses involving amounts under $1,000 carry up to one year imprisonment.

Read the full statutory text

Whoever, upon any waters or vessel within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, by any fraud, or false pretense, obtains from any person anything of value, or procures the execution and delivery of any instrument of writing or conveyance of real or personal property, or the signature of any person, as maker, endorser, or guarantor, to or upon any bond, bill, receipt, promissory note, draft, or check, or any other evidence of indebtedness, or fraudulently sells, barters, or disposes of any bond, bill, receipt, promissory note, draft, or check, or other evidence of indebtedness, for value, knowing the same to be worthless, or knowing the signature of the maker, endorser, or guarantor thereof to have been obtained by any false pretenses, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both; but if the amount, value or the face value of anything so obtained does not exceed $1,000, he shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.

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This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.