United States Statutes at Large/Volume 3/17th Congress/2nd Session/Chapter 38
[Obsolete.]
Chap. XXXVIII.—An Act for the punishment of frauds committed on the government of the United States.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That, if any person or Persons guilty of certain frauds on the government of the United States to be considered guilty of felony.persons shall falsely make, alter, forge, or counterfeit; or cause or procure to be falsely made, altered, forged, or counterfeited; or willingly aid or assist in the false making, altering, forging, or counterfeiting, any deed, power of attorney, order, certificate, receipt, or other writing, for the purpose of obtaining or receiving, or of enabling any other person or persons, either directly or indirectly, to obtain or receive, from the United States, or any of their officers of agents, any sum or sums of money; or shall utter, or publish as true, or cause to be uttered or published as true, any such false, forged, altered, or counterfeited deed, power of attorney, order, certificate, receipt, or other writing, as aforesaid, with intent to defraud the United States, knowing the same to be false, altered, forged, or counterfeited; or shall transmit to, or present at, or cause or procure to be transmitted to, or presented at, any office or officer of the government of the United States, any deed, power of attorney, order, certificate, receipt, or other writing, in support of, or in relation to, any account or claim, with intent to defraud the United States, knowing the same to be false, altered, forged, or counterfeited, every such person shall be deemed and adjudged guilty of felony;To be punished by imprisonment. and being thereof duly convicted, shall be sentenced to be imprisoned, and kept at hard labour, for a period not less than one year, nor more than ten years; or shall be imprisoned, not exceeding five years, and fined not exceeding one thousand dollars.
Persons knowingly having fraudulent papers, &c. to be fined and imprisoned.Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That if any person or persons shall knowingly have in his, her, or their, possession, any false, altered, forged, or counterfeited deed, power of attorney, order, certificate, receipt, or other writing, for the purpose of enabling any person or persons, either directly or indirectly, to obtain or receive from the United States, or any of its officers or agents, any sum or sums of money, knowing the same to be false, altered, forged, or counterfeited, as aforesaid, with intent to defraud the United States, every such person,The courts of the several states not to be deprived of jurisdiction over the offences punishable by this law. upon being thereof duly convicted, shall be fined and imprisoned at the discretion of the court, according to the nature and aggravation of the offence: Provided, nevertheless, That nothing herein contained shall be construed to deprive the courts of the several states of jurisdiction, under the laws thereof, over offences declared punishable by this law.
Approved, March 3, 1823.