US Laws, Codes, Statutes & Cases

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[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
  January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 18USC1658]

 
                 TITLE 18--CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
 
                             PART I--CRIMES
 
                   CHAPTER 81--PIRACY AND PRIVATEERING
 
Sec. 1658. Plunder of distressed vessel

    (a) Whoever plunders, steals, or destroys any money, goods, 
merchandise, or other effects from or belonging to any vessel in 
distress, or wrecked, lost, stranded, or cast away, upon the sea, or 
upon any reef, shoal, bank, or rocks of the sea, or in any other place 
within the admiralty and maritime jurisdiction of the United States, 
shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, 
or both.
    (b) Whoever willfully obstructs the escape of any person endeavoring 
to save his life from such vessel, or the wreck thereof; or
    Whoever holds out or shows any false light, or extinguishes any true 
light, with intent to bring any vessel sailing upon the sea into danger 
or distress or shipwreck--
    Shall be imprisoned not less than ten years and may be imprisoned 
for life.

(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 775; Pub. L. 103-322, title XXXIII, 
Sec. 330016(1)(K), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147.)


                      Historical and Revision Notes

    Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Sec. 488 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 
321, Sec. 297, 35 Stat. 1146).
    Mandatory punishment provision in subsection (a) was rephrased in 
the alternative.
    Minor changes were made in phraseology.


                               Amendments

    1994--Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103-322 substituted ``fined under this 
title'' for ``fined not more than $5,000''.