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Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal Procedure

Part I · Chapter 31 — Embezzlement and Theft

§ 644. Banker receiving unauthorized deposit of public money

Statutory text

Whoever, not being an authorized depositary of public moneys, knowingly receives from any disbursing officer, or collector of internal revenue, or other agent of the United States, any public money on deposit, or by way of loan or accommodation, with or without interest, or otherwise than in payment of a debt against the United States, or uses, transfers, converts, appropriates, or applies any portion of the public money for any purpose not prescribed by law is guilty of embezzlement and shall be fined under this title or not more than the amount so 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 not more than $1,000 or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.

Legislative history

Reconstructed from this section’s Code source credit and amendment notes, resolved against the local Statutes at Large. Editorial notes are evidence, not the law that made the change.

  1. Pub. L. 80–645 · 62 Stat. 683

    Enacted · 18 U.S.C. § 644

    June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 726

    Source evidence

    Code source credit
    June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 726

  2. Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994

    Pub. L. 103–322 title XXXIII § 330016(2)(G) · 108 Stat. 1796

    Substituted · 18 U.S.C. § 644

    Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “shall be fined under this title or not more than the amount so embezzled, whichever is greater, or imprisoned” for “shall be fined not more than the amount so embezzled or imprisoned”

    Source evidence

    Code amendment note
    Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “shall be fined under this title or not more than the amount so embezzled, whichever is greater, or imprisoned” for “shall be fined not more than the amount so embezzled or imprisoned”.

    Enacted provision · exact public law section
    (G) in sections 643, 644, 645, 647, 648, 649, 650, 651, 652, 653, and 1711 by inserting “under this title or” after “be fined” the first place it appears; and by inserting “, whichever is greater,” before “or imprisoned” the first place it appears;

  3. Economic Espionage Act of 1996

    Pub. L. 104–294 title VI § 606(a) · 110 Stat. 3488

    Substituted · 18 U.S.C. § 644

    Pub. L. 104–294 substituted “does not exceed $1,000” for “does not exceed $100”

    Source evidence

    Code amendment note
    Pub. L. 104–294 substituted “does not exceed $1,000” for “does not exceed $100”.

    Enacted provision · exact public law section
    (a) Sections 215, 288, 641, 643, 644, 645, 646, 647, 648, 649, 650, 651, 652, 653, 654, 655, 656, 657, 658, 659, 661, 662, 665, 872, 1003, 1025, 1163, 1361, 1707, 1711, and 2113 of title 18, United States Code, are amended by striking “$100” each place it appears and inserting “$1,000”.

2 of 3 references resolved to an enrolled provision · 1 partial

Notes

Historical and Revision Notes

Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 182 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, § 96, 35 Stat. 1106).

The smaller punishment for an offense involving $100 or less was added. (See reviser’s notes under sections 641 and 645 of this title.)

Changes were made in phraseology.

Editorial Notes

Amendments1994–1996 · 2 rounds

1996

Pub. L. 104–294 substituted “does not exceed $1,000” for “does not exceed $100”.

1994

Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “shall be fined under this title or not more than the amount so embezzled, whichever is greater, or imprisoned” for “shall be fined not more than the amount so embezzled or imprisoned”.

Credits

1948–1996 · 3 acts
  1. 1948June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 726
  2. 1994Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(2)(G), , 108 Stat. 2148
  3. 1996Pub. L. 104–294, title VI, § 606(a), , 110 Stat. 3511.
Show as published

(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 726; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(2)(G), , 108 Stat. 2148; Pub. L. 104–294, title VI, § 606(a), , 110 Stat. 3511.)

Parsed from the official OLRC USLM XML in data/usc_all/usc18.xml · release point 119-108 · OLRC build 2026-05-04

USLM identifier /us/usc/t18/s644