Disbursing officer misusing public funds
Official text prohibited actmental stateif conditionpenaltylegal term
Whoever, being a disbursing officer of the United States, or any department or agency thereof, or a person acting as such, in any manner converts to his own use, or loans with or without interest, or deposits in any place or in any manner, except as authorized by law, any public money intrusted to him; or, for any purpose not prescribed by law, withdraws from the Treasury or any authorized depositary, or transfers, or applies, any portion of the public money intrusted to him, is guilty of embezzlement of the money so converted, loaned, deposited, withdrawn, transferred, or applied, and shall be or not more than the amount embezzled, whichever is greater, or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both; but if the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. 728 (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 federal disbursing officer (someone who pays out government money) to take public money for personal use, lend it, deposit it, or withdraw or move it for purposes the law does not allow.