18 U.S.C. § 552 — Officers aiding importation of obscene or

Page 141 TITLE 18—CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE § 553 (June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 718; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(K), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147.) HISTORICAL AND REVISION NOTES Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 120 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, § 64, 35 Stat. 1100). Minor changes were made in phraseology. Editorial Notes AMENDMENTS 1994—Pub. L. 103–322 substituted ‘‘fined under this title’’ for ‘‘fined not more than $5,000’’ in last par. Executive Documents TRANSFER OF FUNCTIONS All offices of collector of customs, comptroller of cus- toms, surveyor of customs, and appraiser of merchan- dise in Bureau of Customs of Department of the Treas- ury to which appointments were required to be made by President with advice and consent of Senate ordered abolished, with such offices to be terminated not later than Dec. 31, 1966, by Reorg. Plan No. 1 of 1965, eff. May 25, 1965, 30 F.R. 7035, 79 Stat. 1317, set out in the Appen- dix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employ- ees. All functions of offices eliminated were already vested in Secretary of the Treasury by Reorg. Plan No. 26 of 1950, eff. July 31, 1950, 15 F.R. 4935, 64 Stat. 1280, set out in the Appendix to Title 5. § 552. Officers aiding importation of obscene or treasonous books and articles Whoever, being an officer, agent, or employee of the United States, knowingly aids or abets any person engaged in any violation of any of the provisions of law prohibiting importing, ad- vertising, dealing in, exhibiting, or sending or receiving by mail obscene or indecent publica- tions or representations, or books, pamphlets, papers, writings, advertisements, circulars, prints, pictures, or drawings containing any matter advocating or urging treason or insur- rection against the United States or forcible re- sistance to any law of the United States, or con- taining any threat to take the life of or inflict bodily harm upon any person in the United States, or means for procuring abortion, or other articles of indecent or immoral use or tendency, shall be fined under this title or im- prisoned not more than ten years, or both. (June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 718; Pub. L. 91–662, § 2, Jan. 8, 1971, 84 Stat. 1973; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(K), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147.) HISTORICAL AND REVISION NOTES Based on section 1305(b) of title 19, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Customs Duties (June 17, 1930, ch. 497, title III, § 305(b), 46 Stat. 688). In view of definition of misdemeanor in section 1 of this title words ‘‘shall be deemed guilty of a mis- demeanor, and’’ were omitted. Words ‘‘at hard labor’’ after ‘‘imprisonment’’ were omitted. (See reviser’s note under section 1 of this title.) Changes were made in phraseology. Editorial Notes AMENDMENTS 1994—Pub. L. 103–322 substituted ‘‘fined under this title’’ for ‘‘fined not more than $5,000’’. 1971—Pub. L. 91–662 struck out ‘‘preventing concep- tion or’’ before ‘‘procuring abortion’’. Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries EFFECTIVE DATE OF 1971 AMENDMENT Pub. L. 91–662, § 7, Jan. 8, 1971, 84 Stat. 1974, provided that: ‘‘The amendments made by this Act (other than by section 6) [amending this section, sections 1461 and 1462 of this title, and section 1305 of Title 19, Customs Duties] shall take effect on the day after the date of the enactment of this Act [Jan. 8, 1971].’’ § 553. Importation or exportation of stolen motor vehicles, off-highway mobile equipment, ves- sels, or aircraft (a) Whoever knowingly imports, exports, or at- tempts to import or export— (1) any motor vehicle, off-highway mobile equipment, vessel, aircraft, or part of any motor vehicle, off-highway mobile equipment, vessel, or aircraft, knowing the same to have been stolen; or (2) any motor vehicle or off-highway mobile equipment or part of any motor vehicle or off- highway mobile equipment, knowing that the identification number of such motor vehicle, equipment, or part has been removed, obliter- ated, tampered with, or altered; shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 10 years, or both. (b) Subsection (a)(2) shall not apply if the re- moval, obliteration, tampering, or alteration— (1) is caused by collision or fire; or (2)(A) in the case of a motor vehicle, is not a violation of section 511 of this title (relating to altering or removing motor vehicle identi- fication numbers); or (B) in the case of off-highway mobile equip- ment, would not be a violation of section 511 of this title if such equipment were a motor vehicle. (c) As used in this section, the term— (1) ‘‘motor vehicle’’ has the meaning given that term in section 32101 of title 49; (2) ‘‘off-highway mobile equipment’’ means any self-propelled agricultural equipment, self-propelled construction equipment, and self-propelled special use equipment, used or designed for running on land but not on rail or highway; (3) ‘‘vessel’’ has the meaning given that term in section 401 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1401); (4) ‘‘aircraft’’ has the meaning given that term in section 40102(a) of title 49; and (5) ‘‘identification number’’— (A) in the case of a motor vehicle, has the meaning given that term in section 511 of this title; and (B) in the case of any other vehicle or equipment covered by this section, means a number or symbol assigned to the vehicle or equipment, or part thereof, by the manufac- turer primarily for the purpose of identi- fying such vehicle, equipment, or part. (Added Pub. L. 98–547, title III, § 301(a), Oct. 25, 1984, 98 Stat. 2771; amended Pub. L. 100–690, title VII, § 7021, Nov. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 4396; Pub. L. 102–519, title I, § 102, Oct. 25, 1992, 106 Stat. 3385;