Disbursing officer paying lesser in lieu of lawful amount
Official text prohibited actmental stateif conditionpenaltylegal term
Whoever, being an officer, clerk, agent, employee, or other person charged with the payment of any appropriation made by Congress, pays to any clerk or other employee of the United States, or of any department or agency thereof, a sum less than that provided by law, and requires such employee to receipt or give a voucher for an amount greater than that actually paid to and received by him, is guilty of embezzlement, and shall be or in double the amount so withheld, whichever is greater, or imprisoned not more than two years, or both; but if the amount embezzled is $1,000 or less, he shall be or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.
History: (June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 727 (PDF, 39 MB); Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, §330016(1)(H), (2)(G), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147 (PDF, 52 MB), 2148; Pub. L. 104–294, title VI, §606(a), Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3511.)
Simplified explanation
It is a federal embezzlement crime for a person in charge of paying federal funds to pay a federal employee less than the law requires while making the employee sign a receipt for a larger amount.