Massachusetts

Massachusetts General Laws — Part IV, Title I, Crimes and Punishments

768 sections, each with the official text and a plain-English explanation of what it means for you.

• § 266:143A — Unauthorized reproduction and transfer of sound recordings
• § 266:143B — Unauthorized reproduction and sale of live performances
• § 266:143C — Manufacture, rental, or sale of recorded devices in packaging not bearing reproducer's name and address
• § 266:143D — Application of Secs. 143 to 143C; exceptions
• § 266:143E — Violations of Secs. 143A to 143C; punishment
• § 266:143F — Unlawful recording of motion picture in motion picture theater; punishment
• § 266:143G — Persons detained for possible violation of Sec. 143F; defense to false imprisonment or false arrest action
• § 266:143H — Forfeiture of recordings upon conviction for violation of Secs. 143A to 143C or Sec. 143F
• § 266:144 — Carrying away or conversion of certain milk containers without permission of owners
• § 266:145 — Theft of public records
• § 266:146 — Disposal of solid waste in commercial disposal container of another without consent of owner; penalties
• § 266:147 — Items or services bearing or identified by counterfeit mark; sales; penalties
• § 266:148 — Catalytic converters; documentation and records required for purchase or acquisition; penalties
• § 266:15 — Burglary; unarmed
• § 266:16 — Breaking and entering at night
• § 266:16A — Building, vessel or vehicle; breaking and entering with intent to commit misdemeanor
• § 266:17 — Entering without breaking at night; breaking and entering in day time; weapons; punishment
• § 266:18 — Dwelling house; entry at night; breaking and entering in day time; firearms; punishment
• § 266:18A — Entering dwelling house by false pretenses; intent to commit felony; larceny; punishment
• § 266:19 — Railroad car; breaking and entering
• § 266:2 — Meeting house; burning or aiding in burning
• § 266:20 — Stealing in building, ship or railroad car
• § 266:20A — Breaking and entering of trucks, tractors, trailers or freight containers
• § 266:20B — Stealing in trucks, tractors, trailers or freight containers
• § 266:21 — Stolen property; refusal to surrender
• § 266:22 — Poultry thieves; detention by owner; penalty
• § 266:23 — Embezzlement of property at fire; effect
• § 266:24 — Stealing at a fire; punishment
• § 266:25 — Larceny by stealing; punishment; victim sixty-five or older; minimum sentence for repeat offenders
• § 266:27 — Tools of contractors, builders or mechanics; stealing; penalty
• § 266:27A — Motor vehicle or trailer; removal or concealment to defraud insurer
• § 266:28 — Motor vehicle or trailer; theft or concealment; operation without owner's consent after revocation of license; penalty
• § 266:29 — Statement concerning theft; recovery of vehicles; restitution
• § 266:29B — Burning motor vehicle; owner's statement to fire department
• § 266:30 — Larceny; general provisions and penalties
• § 266:30A — Shoplifting; penalty; arrest without warrant
• § 266:30B — Unlawful distribution, possession, or deactivation or removal of theft detection shielding device; unlawful distribution or possession of theft detection device deactivator or remover; penalty
• § 266:30C — Possession, use, counterfeit, etc. of receipts, price ticket or universal product code label with intent to defraud; penalty
• § 266:30D — Organized retail crime; aggravated organized retail crime; leader of organized retail theft enterprise; penalty
• § 266:31 — Signature; obtaining under false pretenses
• § 266:32 — Fraudulent conversion of property by captain of vessel
• § 266:33 — Larceny; false pretences relating to contracts, banking transactions or credit
• § 266:33A — Obtaining computer services by fraud or misrepresentation; penalties
• § 266:34 — Larceny; inducement to part with property
• § 266:35 — Non-applicability of Secs. 30, 31 and 34
• § 266:35A — False material statements or omissions during or in connection with mortgage lending process; penalties; mitigating factors with respect to sentencing
• § 266:37 — Fraudulent checks, etc.; drawing or uttering
• § 266:37A — Misuse of credit cards; definitions
• § 266:37B — Misuse of credit cards; penalties; multiple possession, presumption; arrest
• § 266:37C — Fraudulent use of credit cards to obtain money, goods or services; false embossment of credit cards, multiple possession, presumption; arrest
• § 266:37D — Publishing credit card numbering or coding systems
• § 266:37E — Use of personal identification of another; identity fraud; penalty; restitution
• § 266:38 — Larceny; wrongful detention of money by carriers
• § 266:38A — Construction loan; misapplication
• § 266:39 — Wills; destruction or concealment
• § 266:40 — Common and notorious thief
• § 266:41 — Larceny of bicycles; second conviction
• § 266:42 — Larceny of paper designated for bank bills
• § 266:43 — Paper designated for bank bills; retention by printer with intent to pass
• § 266:47 — Dogs; wrongful removal of collar; penalty
• § 266:48 — Stolen goods; duty of arresting officers to secure
• § 266:49 — Burglarious instruments; making; possession; use
• § 266:5 — Wood and other property; burning or aiding in burning
• § 266:50 — State treasury; fraud or embezzlement by employee
• § 266:51 — City, town or county officers; fraud or embezzlement
• § 266:52 — Bank officers and employees; fraud or embezzlement
• § 266:53 — Bank officers or employees; prosecution for fraud or embezzlement; evidence
• § 266:53A — Bank officers and employees; misconduct; penalty
• § 266:54 — Receipt of deposits by insolvent banks; penalty
• § 266:55 — Liquidating agent or receiver; embezzlement
• § 266:56 — Brokers or agents; embezzlement
• § 266:57 — Fiduciaries; embezzlement
• § 266:58 — Larceny; embezzlement from voluntary association
• § 266:59 — Simple larceny; embezzlement from voluntary association
• § 266:5A — Attempts
• § 266:60 — Stolen goods; buying, receiving or aiding in concealment; penalty
• § 266:60A — Stolen trade secrets; buying or selling
• § 266:60B — Venue for charge and prosecution of crimes committed in different counties or territorial jurisdiction of different courts
• § 266:61 — Stolen property; restitution; effect
• § 266:62 — Stolen goods; common receiver
• § 266:63 — Unlawful taking or use of transportation media
• § 266:64 — Fraudulent hiring of media of transportation
• § 266:65 — Stock; unauthorized issue
• § 266:66 — Stock; fraudulent issue or transfer
• § 266:67 — Corporate books; false entries with intent to defraud
• § 266:67A — Departments, agencies and public instrumentalities; false statements, etc. in procurement of supplies; penalty
• § 266:67B — Presentation of false claims
• § 266:67C — Capital facility construction projects, etc.; false entries in records; penalties
• § 266:68 — Corporate books as evidence
• § 266:69 — Insignia of societies; unlawful use
• § 266:69A — Fraudulent use of labor union seal, trademark or insignia
• § 266:7 — Woods; wanton or reckless injury or destruction by fire
• § 266:70 — Insignia of veteran organizations; unlawful use
• § 266:71 — Signature, money or membership; obtaining under false pretences
• § 266:71A — Individuals and corporations; false use of names of benevolent organizations
• § 266:72 — Fraternal names; use in publication
• § 266:73 — Obtaining goods under false pretences
• § 266:74 — Corporate credit; fraudulent use
• § 266:75 — Obtaining property by trick
• § 266:75A — Gambling devices and vending machines; fraudulent use
• § 266:75B — Slugs; manufacture and sale
• § 266:75C — Gift certificates; expiration dates; failure to redeem
• § 266:75D — Imposition of certain fees reducing total value amount of gift certificate; penalty
• § 266:75E — Printed notice required for certain fees associated with gift certificates; penalty for violation
• § 266:75F — Deduction of gratuity from gift certificate without consent; penalty
• § 266:76 — Gross fraud or cheat at common law; punishment
• § 266:77 — Sterling and coin silver; contents; sale; penalty
• § 266:78 — Articles made of gold; false marking; prohibition
• § 266:79 — Imitation of furs; false representation; prohibition
• § 266:8 — Injury by fire; negligent use
• § 266:80 — Encumbered land; conveyance without notice
• § 266:81 — Attached land; conveyance without notice
• § 266:82 — Concealment of mortgaged personalty; use of rented personalty for illegal sale of liquor
• § 266:83 — Personalty; sale by mortgagor without consent
• § 266:84 — Personalty; sale by hirer without consent
• § 266:85 — Collateral security; sale before debt due
• § 266:86 — Hired property; buying or receiving with intent to defraud
• § 266:87 — Larceny of leased or rented property
• § 266:87A — Stolen leased or rented motor vehicles; report; dissemination of information by police
• § 266:88 — Consignee or factor; fraudulent deposit or pledge of property
• § 266:89 — Degrees; pretending to hold or conferring without authority; use of designation ''university'' or ''college''
• § 266:9 — Injury by fire; negligent use in town; damages
• § 266:90 — Endorsement or approval; penalty for false claim
• § 266:91 — Untrue and misleading advertisements; prohibitions
• § 266:91A — Merchandise, commodities and service; advertisement; penalty
• § 266:91B — Deceptive advertising of merchandise for sale; injunction
• § 266:92 — False or exaggerated statements; making or publishing; prohibition
• § 266:92A — Motor vehicles; sale in certain condition; written disclosure on bill of sale; penalty
• § 266:93 — Animals; obtaining or giving false pedigree
• § 266:94 — Boundary monuments and miscellaneous markers; malicious destruction
• § 266:95 — Historical monuments; malicious destruction or injury
• § 266:96 — State building; defacement or injury
• § 266:97 — County buildings; defacement
• § 266:98 — Schoolhouse or church; defacement or injury
• § 266:98A — Public park or playground equipment; destruction, defacement or injury
• § 266:99 — Libraries; definitions
• § 266:99A — Libraries; theft of materials or property; destruction of records
• § 267:1 — False or forged records, certificates, returns, attestations and other writings
• § 267:10 — Uttering, passing or tendering false, forged or counterfeited note, certificate, bill or traveller's check
• § 267:11 — Common utterers of counterfeit bills
• § 267:12 — Possession of false, forged or counterfeit bills, notes or traveller's checks
• § 267:13 — Tools or material for making false, forged or counterfeited notes, certificates, bills or traveller's checks
• § 267:14 — Evidence relative to forged or counterfeited bank or institution bills or notes
• § 267:15 — Certificates of certain officials of the United States, a state or territory, as evidence
• § 267:16 — Fictitious signatures of corporate officers or agents
• § 267:17 — Counterfeiting coin; possession of ten or more pieces of false money
• § 267:18 — Possession of less than ten pieces of counterfeit coin; uttering, passing or tendering in payment
• § 267:19 — Common utterers of counterfeit coin
• § 267:2 — Railroad or admission tickets, passes or badges
• § 267:20 — Tools for making counterfeit coin
• § 267:21 — Notes, bills, orders or checks as currency
• § 267:22 — Notes, bills, orders or checks for less than five dollars, as currency
• § 267:23 — Bank notes or bills for a fraction of a dollar
• § 267:24 — Connecting parts of instruments
• § 267:25 — Damaging or impairing bank bills or notes
• § 267:26 — Gathering or retaining bank bills or notes
• § 267:27 — Possession of worthless bank bills or notes
• § 267:28 — Uttering, passing or tendering worthless bank bills or notes
• § 267:29 — Shop bills or advertisements similar to bank bills or treasury notes or other United States Securities
• § 267:3 — Seal of land court; stamping documents without authority
• § 267:30 — Seizure of false, forged or counterfeit bills, notes or bonds or counterfeiter's tools; destruction; return
• § 267:31 — Compensation to prosecutors and officers
• § 267:4 — Railroad company stamp; forging or using without authority
• § 267:5 — Uttering false or forged records, deeds or other writings
• § 267:6 — Uttering a forged railroad or admission ticket, pass or badge
• § 267:7 — False or forged note, certificate or other bill of credit issued for debt of commonwealth
• § 267:8 — False, forged or counterfeited bank bill, note or traveller's check
• § 267:9 — Possession of ten or more of false, forged or counterfeited notes or bills
• § 267A:1 — Definitions
• § 267A:2 — Money laundering; penalties
• § 267A:3 — Filing by financial institutions of reports required by the Currency and Foreign Transactions Act; liability for making, filing or use of reports provided pursuant to section; disclosure of reports
• § 267A:4 — Forfeiture of monetary instruments or other property obtained in violation of Sec. 2
• § 268:1 — Perjury
• § 268:13 — Corrupting or attempting to corrupt masters, auditors, jurors, arbitrators, umpires or referees
• § 268:13A — Picketing court, judge, juror, witness or court officer
• § 268:13B — Intimidation of witnesses, jurors and persons furnishing information in connection with criminal proceedings
• § 268:13C — Disruption of court proceedings
• § 268:13D — Distributing transcript or description of grand jury testimony with intent to interfere with criminal proceedings
• § 268:13E — Tampering with record, document or other object for use in an official proceeding
• § 268:14 — Receipt of gift by juror, arbitrator, umpire, referee, master or auditor
• § 268:14A — Juror discharged from employment
• § 268:14B — Witnesses in criminal actions; discharge, etc. from employment
• § 268:15 — Aiding escape from a correctional institution or jail; rescue
• § 268:15A — Escapes from jail
• § 268:16 — Escape or attempt to escape, or failure to return from temporary release or furlough
• § 268:17 — Aiding escape from officer or person having custody
• § 268:18 — Jailer or officer suffering prisoner to escape
• § 268:19 — Suffering or consenting to an escape from a penal institution
• § 268:1A — Statements containing declaration relative to penalties of perjury; verification; false statements
• § 268:2 — Subornation of perjury
• § 268:20 — Negligently suffering prisoner to escape; refusal to receive prisoner
• § 268:21 — Suffering convict to be at large, visited, relieved or comforted
• § 268:21A — Officer or other employee of penal or correctional institution; sexual relations with inmate; punishment
• § 268:22 — Delay of service of warrants
• § 268:23 — Refusal or delay to execute process resulting in escape
• § 268:24 — Neglect or refusal to assist officer or watchman
• § 268:25 — Refusal or neglect to obey order of justice of the peace to apprehend offender
• § 268:26 — Delivering alcoholic beverages to prisoners; possession
• § 268:27 — Delivering alcoholic beverages to patients of public institutions; possession
• § 268:28 — Delivering drugs or articles to prisoners in correctional institutions or jails; possession