Conspiracy to commit offense or to defraud United States
Official text prohibited actmental stateif conditionpenaltylegal term
If two or more persons conspire either to commit any offense against the United States, or to defraud the United States, or any agency thereof in any manner or for any purpose, and one or more of such persons do any act to effect the object of the , each shall be or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.
If, however, the offense, the commission of which is the object of the , is a only, the punishment for such shall not exceed the maximum punishment provided for such .
History: (June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 701 (PDF, 39 MB); Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, §330016(1)(L), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147 (PDF, 52 MB).)
Simplified explanation
It is a federal crime for two or more people to agree (conspire) to commit any federal crime, or to cheat or defraud the United States or any federal agency in any way. At least one of the people must take some action to carry out the plan.