§ 1511. — Obstruction of State or local law enforcement.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 18USC1511]
TITLE 18--CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
PART I--CRIMES
CHAPTER 73--OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE
Sec. 1511. Obstruction of State or local law enforcement
(a) It shall be unlawful for two or more persons to conspire to
obstruct the enforcement of the criminal laws of a State or political
subdivision thereof, with the intent to facilitate an illegal gambling
business if--
(1) one or more of such persons does any act to effect the
object of such a conspiracy;
(2) one or more of such persons is an official or employee,
elected, appointed, or otherwise, of such State or political
subdivision; and
(3) one or more of such persons conducts, finances, manages,
supervises, directs, or owns all or part of an illegal gambling
business.
(b) As used in this section--
(1) ``illegal gambling business'' means a gambling business
which--
(i) is a violation of the law of a State or political
subdivision in which it is conducted;
(ii) involves five or more persons who conduct, finance,
manage, supervise, direct, or own all or part of such business;
and
(iii) has been or remains in substantially continuous
operation for a period in excess of thirty days or has a gross
revenue of $2,000 in any single day.
(2) ``gambling'' includes but is not limited to pool-selling,
bookmaking, maintaining slot machines, roulette wheels, or dice
tables, and conducting lotteries, policy, bolita or numbers games,
or selling chances therein.
(3) ``State'' means any State of the United States, the District
of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and any territory or
possession of the United States.
(c) This section shall not apply to any bingo game, lottery, or
similar game of chance conducted by an organization exempt from tax
under paragraph (3) of subsection (c) of section 501 of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, if no part of the gross receipts
derived from such activity inures to the benefit of any private
shareholder, member, or employee of such organization, except as
compensation for actual expenses incurred by him in the conduct of such
activity.
(d) Whoever violates this section shall be punished by a fine under
this title or imprisonment for not more than five years, or both.
(Added Pub. L. 91-452, title VIII, Sec. 802(a), Oct. 15, 1970, 84 Stat.
936; amended Pub. L. 99-514, Sec. 2, Oct. 22, 1986, 100 Stat. 2095; Pub.
L. 103-322, title XXXIII, Sec. 330016(2)(C), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat.
2148.)
References in Text
Paragraph (3) of subsection (c) of section 501 of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986, referred to in subsec. (c), is classified to
section 501(c)(3) of Title 26, Internal Revenue Code.
Amendments
1994--Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 103-322 substituted ``fine under this
title'' for ``fine of not more than $20,000''.
1986--Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 99-514 substituted ``Internal Revenue
Code of 1986'' for ``Internal Revenue Code of 1954''.
Congressional Statement of Findings
Section 801 of title VIII of Pub. L. 91-452 provided that: ``The
Congress finds that illegal gambling involves widespread use of, and has
an effect upon, interstate commerce and the facilities thereof.''
Priority of State Laws
Section 811 of title VIII of Pub. L. 91-452 provided that: ``No
provision of this title [enacting this section and section 1955 of this
title, amending section 2516 of this title, and enacting provisions set
out as notes under this section and section 1955 of this title]
indicates an intent on the part of the Congress to occupy the field in
which such provision operates to the exclusion of the law of a state or
possession, or a political subdivision of a State or possession, on the
same subject matter, or to relieve any person of any obligation imposed
by any law of any State or possession, or political subdivision of a
State or possession.''
Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in sections 1961, 2516 of this title.
