CITE

    18 USC Sec. 289                                             01/05/2009

EXPCITE

    TITLE 18 - CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
    PART I - CRIMES
    CHAPTER 15 - CLAIMS AND SERVICES IN MATTERS AFFECTING GOVERNMENT

HEAD

    Sec. 289. False claims for pensions

STATUTE

      Whoever knowingly and willfully makes, or presents any false,
    fictitious or fraudulent affidavit, declaration, certificate,
    voucher, endorsement, or paper or writing purporting to be such,
    concerning any claim for pension or payment thereof, or pertaining
    to any other matter within the jurisdiction of the Secretary of
    Veterans Affairs, or knowingly or willfully makes or presents any
    paper required as a voucher in drawing a pension, which paper bears
    a date subsequent to that upon which it was actually signed or
    acknowledged by the pensioner; or
      Whoever knowingly and falsely certifies that the declarant,
    affiant, or witness named in such declaration, affidavit, voucher,
    endorsement, or other paper or writing personally appeared before
    him and was sworn thereto, or acknowledged the execution thereof -
      Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five
    years, or both.

SOURCE

    (June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 699; Pub. L. 102-54, Sec.
    13(f)(1), June 13, 1991, 105 Stat. 275; Pub. L. 103-322, title
    XXXIII, Sec. 330016(1)(L), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147.)

HISTORICAL AND REVISION NOTES

      Based on section 81 of title 18, section 126 of title 38,
    Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief, and section 787 of title
    43, Public Lands, all of U.S.C., 1940 ed. (R.S. Sec. 4746; July 7,
    1898, ch. 578, 30 Stat. 718; Aug. 17, 1912, ch. 301, Sec. 1, 37
    Stat. 312; July 3, 1930, ch. 863, Sec. 2, 46 Stat. 1016).
      Reference to persons aiding or assisting or causing or procuring
    was omitted as unnecessary in view of definition of "principal" in
    section 2 of this title.
      Words "or bounty land", before "prosecution of any claim for
    pension", were omitted as obsolete. (See reviser's note under
    section 290 of this title.)
      Upon authority of 1930 enactment words "Administrator of
    Veterans' Affairs" were substituted for "Commissioner of Pensions
    or of the Secretary of the Interior", which appeared in 1898
    enactment.
      The fine was changed from "$500" for "$10,000" to conform with
    punishment provision of section 287 of this title.
      Minor changes in phraseology were also made.
                                AMENDMENTS
      1994 - Pub. L. 103-322 substituted "fined under this title" for
    "fined not more than $10,000".
      1991 - Pub. L. 102-54 substituted "Secretary of Veterans Affairs"
    for "Administrator of Veterans' Affairs".