§6101. Misappropriation by fiduciaries

(a) Whoever, being a guardian, curator, conservator, committee, or person legally vested with the responsibility or care of a claimant or a claimant's estate, or any other person having charge and custody in a fiduciary capacity of money heretofore or hereafter paid under any of the laws administered by the Secretary for the benefit of any minor, incompetent, or other beneficiary, shall lend, borrow, pledge, hypothecate, use, or exchange for other funds or property, except as authorized by law, or embezzle or in any manner misappropriate any such money or property derived therefrom in whole or in part and coming into such fiduciary's control in any manner whatever in the execution of such fiduciary's trust, or under color of such fiduciary's office or service as such fiduciary, shall be fined in accordance with title 18, or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.

(b) Any willful neglect or refusal to make and file proper accountings or reports concerning such money or property as required by law shall be taken to be sufficient evidence prima facie of such embezzlement or misappropriation.

( Pub. L. 85–857, Sept. 2, 1958, 72 Stat. 1239 , §3501; Pub. L. 99–576, title VII, §701(82), Oct. 28, 1986, 100 Stat. 3298 ; renumbered §6101, Pub. L. 102–40, title IV, §402(b)(1), May 7, 1991, 105 Stat. 238 ; Pub. L. 102–54, §14(d)(7), June 13, 1991, 105 Stat. 286 ; Pub. L. 102–83, §4(a)(1), Aug. 6, 1991, 105 Stat. 403 ; Pub. L. 103–446, title XII, §1201(e)(17), Nov. 2, 1994, 108 Stat. 4686 .)

Amendments

1994-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103–446 inserted a comma after "title 18".

1991-Pub. L. 102–40 renumbered section 3501 of this title as this section.

Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 102–83 substituted "administered by the Secretary" for "administered by the Veterans' Administration".

Pub. L. 102–54 amended subsec. (a) as in effect immediately before the enactment of Pub. L. 102–40 by substituting "in accordance with title 18" for "not more than $2,000".

1986-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 99–576 substituted "a claimant's" for "his" before "estate", and "such fiduciary's" for "his" in three places.