18 U.S.C. § 500 – Counterfeiting or Forging Postal Money Orders
This law makes it a federal crime to forge, counterfeit, alter, unlawfully issue, or fraudulently use postal money orders or related instruments.
This statute targets fraud involving money orders, postal notes, and related instruments issued by or under the authority of the United States Postal Service. It applies to both the creation of fraudulent instruments and the knowing use, possession, transmission, or handling of such items.
The statute also covers blank money order forms, issuing authorities, and specialized tools used to prepare or complete postal money orders.
What the law prohibits.
A person violates this statute if they knowingly and with intent to defraud:
- Falsely make, forge, counterfeit, engrave, or print any postal money order or blank money order form
- Forge or counterfeit the signature, initials, stamp impression, or endorsement of an authorized issuer on a money order, postal note, receipt, or certificate of identification
- Falsely alter a postal money order or postal note in any material respect
- Pass, utter, publish, or attempt to pass, utter, or publish a forged or altered postal money order or postal note knowing it to be false, forged, counterfeited, or altered
- Issue a money order or postal note without having received or paid the full amount payable for the purpose of fraudulently obtaining money or enabling another to do so
- Embezzle, steal, convert, or without authority dispose of a blank postal money order form
- Receive or possess a blank postal money order form knowing it to have been embezzled, stolen, or converted, with intent to convert it to personal use or gain
- Transmit or present a money order or postal note knowing it contains a forged signature, stamp, or endorsement, contains a material alteration, was unlawfully issued without payment, or was stamped without lawful authority
- Steal, receive, possess, dispose of, or attempt to dispose of a postal money order machine or any stamp, tool, or instrument designed for preparing or completing postal money orders without lawful authority
Penalties.
A person convicted under this statute shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.
If you’re being investigated or charged under a federal postal money order statute, call (314) 900-HELP or contact our criminal defense attorneys to discuss your options.
