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18 U.S.C. § 1861

U.S. CodeFederalPositive Law
Deception of prospective purchasers
About This Law
/us/usc/t18/s1861
Title
18 — Crimes and Criminal Procedure
Chapter
PTI/CH91
Release
119-84
Release Date
2026-04-17

Section Text

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Whoever, for a reward paid or promised to him in that behalf, undertakes to locate for an intending purchaser, settler, or entryman any public lands of the United States subject to disposition under the public-land laws, and who willfully and falsely represents to such intending purchaser, settler, or entryman that any tract of land shown to him is public land of the United States subject to sale, settlement, or entry, or that it is of a particular surveyed description, with intent to deceive the person to whom such representation is made, or who, in reckless disregard of the truth, falsely represents to any such person that any tract of land shown to him is public land of the United States subject to sale, settlement, or entry, or that it is of a particular surveyed description, thereby deceiving the person to whom such representation is made, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both. (June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 789; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(F), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147.) Historical and Revision NotesBased on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 114 (Feb. 23, 1917, ch. 115, 39 Stat. 936). Words “deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and” which preceded “punished” were omitted as unnecessary in view of definitive section 1 of this title. Minor changes were made in phraseology. Editorial Notes Amendments1994—Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $300”.

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