§ 500. — Money orders.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 18USC500]
TITLE 18--CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
PART I--CRIMES
CHAPTER 25--COUNTERFEITING AND FORGERY
Sec. 500. Money orders
Whoever, with intent to defraud, falsely makes, forges,
counterfeits, engraves, or prints any order in imitation of or
purporting to be a blank money order or a money order issued by or under
the direction of the Post Office Department or Postal Service; or
Whoever forges or counterfeits the signature or initials of any
person authorized to issue money orders upon or to any money order,
postal note, or blank therefor provided or issued by or under the
direction of the Post Office Department or Postal Service, or post
office department or corporation of any foreign country, and payable in
the United States, or any material signature or indorsement thereon, or
any material signature to any receipt or certificate of identification
thereof; or
Whoever falsely alters, in any material respect, any such money
order or postal note; or
Whoever, with intent to defraud, passes, utters or publishes or
attempts to pass, utter or publish any such forged or altered money
order or postal note, knowing any material initials, signature, stamp
impression or indorsement thereon to be false, forged, or counterfeited,
or any material alteration therein to have been falsely made; or
Whoever issues any money order or postal note without having
previously received or paid the full amount of money payable therefor,
with the purpose of fraudulently obtaining or receiving, or fraudulently
enabling any other person, either directly or indirectly, to obtain or
receive from the United States or Postal Service, or any officer,
employee, or agent thereof, any sum of money whatever; or
Whoever embezzles, steals, or knowingly converts to his own use or
to the use of another, or without authority converts or disposes of any
blank money order form provided by or under the authority of the Post
Office Department or Postal Service; or
Whoever receives or possesses any such money order form with the
intent to convert it to his own use or gain or use or gain of another
knowing it to have been embezzled, stolen or converted; or
Whoever, with intent to defraud the United States, the Postal
Service, or any person, transmits, presents, or causes to be transmitted
or presented, any money order or postal note knowing the same--
(1) to contain any forged or counterfeited signature, initials,
or any stamped impression, or
(2) to contain any material alteration therein unlawfully made,
or
(3) to have been unlawfully issued without previous payment of
the amount required to be paid upon such issue, or
(4) to have been stamped without lawful authority; or
Whoever steals, or with intent to defraud or without being lawfully
authorized by the Post Office Department or Postal Service, receives,
possesses, disposes of or attempts to dispose of any postal money order
machine or any stamp, tool, or instrument specifically designed to be
used in preparing or filling out the blanks on postal money order
forms--
Shall be fined under this title \1\ or imprisoned not more than five
years, or both.
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\1\ See 1994 Amendment note below.
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(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 712; Pub. L. 91-375, Sec. 6(j)(5),
Aug. 12, 1970, 84 Stat. 777; Pub. L. 92-430, Sept. 23, 1972, 86 Stat.
722; Pub. L. 103-322, title XXXIII, Sec. 330016(1)(L), Sept. 13, 1994,
108 Stat. 2147.)
Historical and Revision Notes
Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Sec. 347 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch.
321, Sec. 218, 35 Stat. 1131).
References to persons causing, procuring, aiding or assisting were
omitted as unnecessary as such persons are made principals by section 2
of this title.
Changes were made in phraseology.
Amendments
1994--Pub. L. 103-322, which directed the amendment of this section
by substituting ``fined under this title'' for ``fined not more than
$10,000'', was executed by making the substitution for ``fined not more
than $5,000'' in last par., to reflect the probable intent of Congress.
1972--Pub. L. 92-430 substituted ``a blank money order or a money
order issued by or under the direction of'' for ``a money order issued
by'' and struck out ``, or by any officer or employee thereof'' in first
par.; substituted ``or initials of any person authorized to issue money
orders'' for ``of any officer or employee of the Postal Service,'' in
second par.; inserted ``or attempts to pass, utter or publish'' before
``any such forged'' and substituted ``material initials, signature,
stamp impression'' for ``material signature'' in fourth par.; inserted
``or Postal Service'' after ``the United States'' in fifth par.;
inserted sixth and seventh pars.; inserted ``, the Postal Service''
after ``the United States'', and substituted ``presents, or causes to be
transmitted or presented, any money order'' for ``or presents to any
officer or employee, or at any office of the United States, any money
order'' and designated material after ``knowing the same'' as cls. (1)
to (3) with minor changes and added cl. (4) in eighth par.; inserted
ninth par., and enacted provisions of former seventh par. as tenth par.
1970--Pub. L. 91-375 inserted reference to Postal Service and
substituted ``officer or employee'' for ``postmaster or agent'' in first
par. and substituted ``officer or employee of the Postal Service'' for
``postmaster, assistant postmaster, chief clerk, or clerk'' and ``Post
Office Department or the Postal Service, or post office department or
corporation of any foreign country'' for ``Post Office Department of the
United States, or of any foreign country'' in second par.
Change of Name
Post Office Department redesignated United States Postal Service
pursuant to Pub. L. 91-375, Sec. 6(o), Aug. 12, 1970, 84 Stat. 733, set
out as a note preceding section 101 of Title 39, Postal Service.
Effective Date of 1970 Amendment
Amendment by Pub. L. 91-375 effective within 1 year after Aug. 12,
1970, on date established therefor by the Board of Governors of the
United States Postal Service and published by it in the Federal
Register, see section 15(a) of Pub. L. 91-375, set out as an Effective
Date note preceding section 101 of Title 39, Postal Service.
Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in section 1956 of this title.
