18 USC § 651 - Disbursing officer falsely certifying full payment

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t18/s651"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "18 USC § 651 - Disbursing officer falsely certifying full payment"
title_number: 18
title_name: "CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE"
section_number: "651"
section_name: "Disbursing officer falsely certifying full payment"
chapter_number: 31
chapter_name: "EMBEZZLEMENT AND THEFT"
part_number: "I"
part_name: "CRIMES"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-21"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 727; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(H), (2)(G), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147, 2148; Pub. L. 104–294, title VI, § 606(a), Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3511; Pub. L. 108–271, § 8(b), July 7, 2004, 118 Stat. 814.)"
---


# § 651. Disbursing officer falsely certifying full payment

Whoever, being an officer charged with the disbursement of the public moneys, accepts, receives, or transmits to the Government Accountability Office to be allowed in his favor any receipt or voucher from a creditor of the United States without having paid the full amount specified therein to such creditor in such funds as the officer received for disbursement, or in such funds as he may be authorized by law to take in exchange, shall be fined under this title or in double the amount so withheld, whichever is greater, or imprisoned not more than two years, or both; but if the amount withheld does not exceed $1,000, he shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.

---

**Source Credit**: (June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 727; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(H), (2)(G), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147, 2148; Pub. L. 104–294, title VI, § 606(a), Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3511; Pub. L. 108–271, § 8(b), July 7, 2004, 118 Stat. 814.)

### Historical and Revision Notes

Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 181 (, ; , ).

The penalty provided by , a similar section, was incorporated in this section.

(For explanation of the smaller penalty for an offense involving $100 or less, see reviser’s notes under sections 641 and 645 of this title.)

Minor changes were made in phraseology.

## Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2004— substituted “Government Accountability Office” for “General Accounting Office”.

1996— substituted “$1,000” for “$100”.

1994—, substituted “shall be fined under this title or in double the amount so withheld, whichever is greater, or imprisoned” for “shall be fined in double the amount so withheld or imprisoned”.

, substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $1,000” after “he shall be”.