§1516. Obstruction of Federal audit

(a) Whoever, with intent to deceive or defraud the United States, endeavors to influence, obstruct, or impede a Federal auditor in the performance of official duties relating to a person receiving in excess of $100,000, directly or indirectly, from the United States in any 1 year period under a contract or subcontract, or relating to any property that is security for a mortgage note that is insured, guaranteed, acquired, or held by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development pursuant to any Act administered by the Secretary, shall be fined under this title, or imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.

(b) For purposes of this section-

(1) the term "Federal auditor" means any person employed on a full- or part-time or contractual basis to perform an audit or a quality assurance inspection for or on behalf of the United States; and

(2) the term "in any 1 year period" has the meaning given to the term "in any one-year period" in section 666.

(Added Pub. L. 100–690, title VII, §7078(a), Nov. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 4406 ; amended Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXII, §320609, Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2120 ; Pub. L. 104–294, title VI, §604(b)(43), Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3509 ; Pub. L. 105–65, title V, §564, Oct. 27, 1997, 111 Stat. 1420 .)

Amendments

1997-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 105–65 inserted "or relating to any property that is security for a mortgage note that is insured, guaranteed, acquired, or held by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development pursuant to any Act administered by the Secretary," after "under a contract or subcontract,".

1996-Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 104–294 inserted "and" after semicolon at end.

1994-Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 103–322 substituted "section-" for "section", inserted "(1)" before "the term", substituted semicolon for the period at end, and added par. (2).

Effective Date of 1996 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 104–294 effective Sept. 13, 1994, see section 604(d) of Pub. L. 104–294, set out as a note under section 13 of this title.