Federal · Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal Procedure

18 U.S.C. § 643: Accounting generally for public money

Felony

What this law says, in plain English

A federal officer or employee who fails to account for public money they received and are not authorized to keep commits embezzlement, punishable by fine or up to 10 years imprisonment (or up to 1 year if the amount is $1,000 or less).

Read the full statutory text

Whoever, being an officer, employee or agent of the United States or of any department or agency thereof, having received public money which he is not authorized to retain as salary, pay, or emolument, fails to render his accounts for the same as provided by law is guilty of embezzlement, and shall be fined under this title or in a sum equal to the amount of the money embezzled, whichever is greater, or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both; but if the amount embezzled does not exceed $1,000, he shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.

Verify at the official source: Federal legislative text

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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.