Destruction of war material, war premises, or war utilities
Official text prohibited actmental stateif conditionpenaltylegal term
(a) Whoever, when the United States is at war, or in times of national emergency as declared by the President or by the Congress, with intent to injure, interfere with, or obstruct the United States or any associate nation in preparing for or carrying on the war or defense activities, or, with reason to believe that his act may injure, interfere with, or obstruct the United States or any associate nation in preparing for or carrying on the war or defense activities, injures, destroys, contaminates or infects, or to so injure, destroy, contaminate or infect any war material, war premises, or war utilities, shall be or imprisoned not more than thirty years, or both.
(b) If two or more persons conspire to violate this section, and one or more of such persons do any act to effect the object of the , each of the parties to such shall be punished as provided in subsection (a) of this section.
History: (June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 799 (PDF, 39 MB); June 30, 1953, ch. 175, §2, 67 Stat. 133; Sept. 3, 1954, ch. 1261, title I, §102, 68 Stat. 1217; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, §330016(1)(L), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147 (PDF, 52 MB).)
Simplified explanation
During war or a declared national emergency, it is a federal crime to willfully damage, destroy, or contaminate war materials, facilities, or utilities, or to try to, when intending (or having reason to believe) it will hurt the war or defense efforts of the U.S. or its allies.