Skip to content

Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal Procedure

Part I · Chapter 31 — Embezzlement and Theft

§ 655. Theft by bank examiner

Statutory text

Whoever, being a bank examiner or assistant examiner, steals, or unlawfully takes, or unlawfully conceals any money, note, draft, bond, or security or any other property of value in the possession of any bank or banking institution which is a member of the Federal Reserve System, which is insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, which is a branch or agency of a foreign bank (as such terms are defined in paragraphs (1) and (3) of section 1(b) of the International Banking Act of 1978), or which is an organization operating under section 25 or section 25(a) 1 of the Federal Reserve Act, or from any safe deposit box in or adjacent to the premises of such bank, branch, agency, or organization, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both; but if the amount taken or concealed does not exceed $1,000, he shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both; and shall be disqualified from holding office as a national bank examiner or Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation examiner.

This section shall apply to all public examiners and assistant examiners who examine member banks of the Federal Reserve System, banks the deposits of which are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, branches or agencies of foreign banks (as such terms are defined in paragraphs (1) and (3) of section 1(b) of the International Banking Act of 1978), or organizations operating under section 25 or section 25(a) 1 of the Federal Reserve Act, whether appointed by the Comptroller of the Currency, by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, by a Federal Reserve Agent, by a Federal Reserve bank, or by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, or appointed or elected under the laws of any State; but shall not apply to private examiners or assistant examiners employed only by a clearing-house association or by the directors of a bank.

Footnotes

  1. 1 See References in Text note below.

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. § 655

    June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 728

    Source evidence

    Code source credit
    June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 728

  2. Comprehensive Thrift and Bank Fraud Prosecution and Taxpayer Recovery Act of 1990

    Pub. L. 101–647 title XXV § 2597(e) · 104 Stat. 4789

    1. Substituted · 18 U.S.C. § 655

      Pub. L. 101–647, in first par., substituted “System, which is insured” for “System or which is insured”

    2. Substituted · 18 U.S.C. § 655

      Pub. L. 101–647, in first par., inserted “which is a branch or agency of a foreign bank (as such terms are defined in paragraphs (1) and (3) of section 1(b) of the International Banking Act of 1978), or which is an organization operating under section 25 or section 25(a) of the Federal Reserve Act,” after “Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation,” and “branch, agency, or organization,” after “premises of such bank,” and in second par. substituted “System, banks the deposits of which” for “System or banks the deposits of which”

    3. Inserted · 18 U.S.C. § 655

      Pub. L. 101–647, in first par., inserted “branches or agencies of foreign banks (as such terms are defined in paragraphs (1) and (3) of section 1(b) of the International Banking Act of 1978), or organizations operating under section 25 or section 25(a) of the Federal Reserve Act,” after “Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation,”

    Source evidence

    Code amendment note
    Pub. L. 101–647, in first par., substituted “System, which is insured” for “System or which is insured”, inserted “which is a branch or agency of a foreign bank (as such terms are defined in paragraphs (1) and (3) of section 1(b) of the International Banking Act of 1978), or which is an organization operating under section 25 or section 25(a) of the Federal Reserve Act,” after “Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation,” and “branch, agency, or organization,” after “premises of such bank,” and in second par. substituted “System, banks the deposits of which” for “System or banks the deposits of which”, and inserted “branches or agencies of foreign banks (as such terms are defined in paragraphs (1) and (3) of section 1(b) of the International Banking Act of 1978), or organizations operating under section 25 or section 25(a) of the Federal Reserve Act,” after “Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation,”.

    Enacted provision · exact public law section
    (e) Theft by Examiner.— Section 655 of title 18, United States Code, is amended— (1) in the 1st undesignated paragraph— (A) by striking “System or which is insured” and inserting “System, which is insured”; (B) by inserting “which is a branch or agency of a foreign bank (as such terms are defined in paragraphs (1) and (3) of section 1(b) of the International Banking Act of 1978), or which is an organization operating under section 25 or section 25(a) of the Federal Reserve Act,” after “by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation,”; and (C) by inserting “branch, agency, or organization,” after “premises of such bank,”; and (2) in the 2d undesignated paragraph— (A) by striking “System or banks the deposits of which” and inserting “System, banks the deposits of which”; and (B) by inserting “branches or agencies of foreign banks (as such terms are defined in paragraphs (1) and (3) of section 1(b) of the International Banking Act of 1978), or organizations operating under section 25 or section 25(a) of the Federal Reserve Act,” after “are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation,”.

  3. Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994

    Pub. L. 103–322 title XXXIII § 330016(1)(H) · 108 Stat. 1796

    Substituted · 18 U.S.C. § 655

    Pub. L. 103–322, in first par., substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $5,000” after “organization, shall be” and for “fined not more than $1,000” after “he shall be”

    Source evidence

    Code amendment note
    Pub. L. 103–322, in first par., substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $5,000” after “organization, shall be” and for “fined not more than $1,000” after “he shall be”.

    Enacted provision · exact public law section
    (H) in sections 81, 210, 211, 215, 217, 242, 245, 291, 292, 439, 442, 480, 483, 484, 490, 491, 494, 495, 503, 507, 510, 594, 595, 596, 597, 598, 599, 604, 605, 641, 643, 645, 646, 647, 648, 649, 650, 651, 652, 653, 654, 655, 656, 657, 658, 659, 661, 662, 665, 712, 751, 752, 756, 795, 796, 797, 836, 844, 871, 875, 876, 877, 879, 911, 912, 913, 924, 957, 959, 961, 1003, 1012, 1021, 1025, 1026, 1071, 1112, 1163, 1262, 1263, 1264, 1301, 1302, 1304, 1306, 1341, 1342, 1343, 1361, 1363, 1384, 1504, 1508, 1509, 1657, 1705, 1706, 1707, 1711, 1715, 1716, 1733, 1738, 1761, 1762, 2276, 2277, 2278, 2382, and 2389 by striking “not more than $1,000” each place it appears and inserting “under this title”;

  4. Economic Espionage Act of 1996

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

    Substituted · 18 U.S.C. § 655

    Pub. L. 104–294 substituted “$1,000” for “$100” in first par

    Source evidence

    Code amendment note
    Pub. L. 104–294 substituted “$1,000” for “$100” in first par.

    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”.

5 of 6 references resolved to an enrolled provision · 1 partial

Notes

Historical and Revision Notes

Based on section 593 of title 12, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Banks and Banking (Dec. 23, 1913, ch. 6, § 22, 38 Stat. 272; Sept. 26, 1918, ch. 177, § 5, 40 Stat. 970; Feb. 25, 1927, ch. 191, § 15, 44 Stat. 1232; Aug. 23, 1935, ch. 614, § 326(a), 49 Stat. 715).

Other provisions of section 593 of title 12, U.S.C. 1940 ed., Banks and Banking, are incorporated in sections 217 and 218 of this title.

The words “and shall upon conviction thereof” were omitted as unnecessary, since punishment cannot be imposed until a conviction is secured.

The phrase “bank or banking institution which is a member of the Federal Reserve System or which is insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation” was substituted for “member bank or insured bank” to avoid the use of a definitive section based on sections 221a, 264(e)(8), and 588a of title 12, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Banks and Banking. Words “banks the deposits of which are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation” were substituted for “insured banks” in second paragraph, for the same reason.

Punishment provision harmonized with that of section 656 of this title. (See also, reviser’s notes under sections 641 and 645 of this title.)

Changes in phraseology were also made.

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Section 1(b) of the International Banking Act of 1978, referred to in text, is classified to section 3101 of Title 12, Banks and Banking.

Section 25 of the Federal Reserve Act, referred to in text, is classified to subchapter I (§ 601 et seq.) of chapter 6 of Title 12. Section 25(a) of the Federal Reserve Act, which is classified to subchapter II (§ 611 et seq.) of chapter 6 of Title 12, was renumbered section 25A of that act by Pub. L. 102–242, title I, § 142(e)(2), , 105 Stat. 2281.

Amendments1990–1996 · 3 rounds

1996

Pub. L. 104–294 substituted “$1,000” for “$100” in first par.

1994

Pub. L. 103–322, in first par., substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $5,000” after “organization, shall be” and for “fined not more than $1,000” after “he shall be”.

1990

Pub. L. 101–647, in first par., substituted “System, which is insured” for “System or which is insured”, inserted “which is a branch or agency of a foreign bank (as such terms are defined in paragraphs (1) and (3) of section 1(b) of the International Banking Act of 1978), or which is an organization operating under section 25 or section 25(a) of the Federal Reserve Act,” after “Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation,” and “branch, agency, or organization,” after “premises of such bank,” and in second par. substituted “System, banks the deposits of which” for “System or banks the deposits of which”, and inserted “branches or agencies of foreign banks (as such terms are defined in paragraphs (1) and (3) of section 1(b) of the International Banking Act of 1978), or organizations operating under section 25 or section 25(a) of the Federal Reserve Act,” after “Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation,”.

Credits

1948–1996 · 4 acts
  1. 1948June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 728
  2. 1990Pub. L. 101–647, title XXV, § 2597(e), , 104 Stat. 4909
  3. 1994Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(H), (K), , 108 Stat. 2147
  4. 1996Pub. L. 104–294, title VI, § 606(a), , 110 Stat. 3511.
Show as published

(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 728; Pub. L. 101–647, title XXV, § 2597(e), , 104 Stat. 4909; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(H), (K), , 108 Stat. 2147; 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/s655