18 U.S.C. § 1581 – Peonage; Obstructing Enforcement
This statute makes it a federal crime to hold a person in peonage, return a person to peonage, or interfere with enforcement of the federal prohibition on peonage.
This statute targets debt-based servitude in which a person is compelled to work or remain in service to pay off a debt or obligation.
It applies both to individuals who directly place or keep a person in peonage and to those who obstruct or interfere with the enforcement of federal anti-peonage laws.
What the law prohibits.
A person violates this statute if they:
- Hold any person in a condition of peonage
- Return any person to a condition of peonage
- Arrest any person with the intent of placing that person in or returning that person to a condition of peonage
- Obstruct, attempt to obstruct, interfere with, or prevent the enforcement of this section
Penalties.
A person convicted under this statute shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both.
If death results from the violation, or if the violation includes kidnapping or an attempt to kidnap, aggravated sexual abuse or an attempt to commit aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to kill, the penalty shall be a fine under this title or imprisonment for any term of years or for life, or both.
If you’re being investigated or charged under a federal peonage or involuntary servitude statute, call (314) 900-HELP or contact our criminal defense attorneys to discuss your situation.
