18 USC § 1518 - Obstruction of criminal investigations of health care offenses

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t18/s1518"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "18 USC § 1518 - Obstruction of criminal investigations of health care offenses"
title_number: 18
title_name: "CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE"
section_number: "1518"
section_name: "Obstruction of criminal investigations of health care offenses"
chapter_number: 73
chapter_name: "OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE"
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: "(Added Pub. L. 104–191, title II, § 245(a), Aug. 21, 1996, 110 Stat. 2017.)"
---


# § 1518. Obstruction of criminal investigations of health care offenses

**(a)** Whoever willfully prevents, obstructs, misleads, delays or attempts to prevent, obstruct, mislead, or delay the communication of information or records relating to a violation of a Federal health care offense to a criminal investigator shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.

**(b)** As used in this section the term “criminal investigator” means any individual duly authorized by a department, agency, or armed force of the United States to conduct or engage in investigations for prosecutions for violations of health care offenses.

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**Source Credit**: (Added Pub. L. 104–191, title II, § 245(a), Aug. 21, 1996, 110 Stat. 2017.)