18 U.S.C. § 2155 — Destruction of national-defense materials,

Page 506 TITLE 18—CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE § 2155 the President or by the Congress, with intent to injure, interfere with, or obstruct the United States or any associate nation in preparing for or carrying on the war or defense activities, or, with reason to believe that his act may injure, interfere with, or obstruct the United States or any associate nation in preparing for or car- rying on the war or defense activities, willfully makes, constructs, or causes to be made or con- structed in a defective manner, or attempts to make, construct, or cause to be made or con- structed in a defective manner any war mate- rial, war premises or war utilities, or any tool, implement, machine, utensil, or receptacle used or employed in making, producing, manufac- turing, or repairing any such war material, war premises or war utilities, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than thirty years, or both. (b) If two or more persons conspire to violate this section, and one or more of such persons do any act to effect the object of the conspiracy, each of the parties to such conspiracy shall be punished as provided in subsection (a) of this section. (June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 799; June 30, 1953, ch. 175, § 2, 67 Stat. 133; Sept. 3, 1954, ch. 1261, title I, § 103, 68 Stat. 1218; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(L), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147.) HISTORICAL AND REVISION NOTES Based on section 103 of title 50, U.S.C., 1940 ed., War and National Defense (Apr. 20, 1918, ch. 59, § 3, 40 Stat. 534). The conspiracy provisions are new. Their addition to the section was strongly urged by the Criminal Divi- sion of the Department of Justice, considering the gravity of the substantive offense as evidenced by the prescribed punishment therefor. The punishment provi- sions of the general conspiracy statute, section 371 of this title, are inadequate. Words ‘‘upon conviction thereof’’ were omitted as un- necessary, since punishment cannot be imposed until a conviction is secured. Minor changes were made in phraseology. Editorial Notes AMENDMENTS 1994—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103–322 substituted ‘‘fined under this title’’ for ‘‘fined not more than $10,000’’. 1954—Act Sept. 3, 1954, made section applicable in time of national emergency, and enlarged its scope by bringing ‘‘war premises, or war utilities’’ within juris- diction of section. 1953—Subsec. (a). Act June 30, 1953, inserted ‘‘or de- fense activities’’ after ‘‘carrying on the war’’. Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries REPEALS Act June 30, 1953, ch. 175, § 7, 67 Stat. 134, repealed Joint Res. July 3, 1952, ch. 570, § 1(a)(29), 66 Stat. 333; Joint Res. Mar. 31, 1953, ch. 13, § 1, 67 Stat. 18, formerly cited as credits to this section and also formerly set out as a note under this section. § 2155. Destruction of national-defense materials, national-defense premises, or national-de- fense utilities (a) Whoever, with intent to injure, interfere with, or obstruct the national defense of the United States, willfully injures, destroys, con- taminates or infects, or attempts to so injure, destroy, contaminate or infect any national-de- fense material, national-defense premises, or na- tional-defense utilities, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both, and, if death results to any person, shall be imprisoned for any term of years or for life. (b) If two or more persons conspire to violate this section, and one or more of such persons do any act to effect the object of the conspiracy, each of the parties to such conspiracy shall be punished as provided in subsection (a) of this section. (June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 799; Sept. 3, 1954, ch. 1261, title I, § 104, 68 Stat. 1218; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(L), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147; Pub. L. 104–294, title VI, § 601(f)(12), Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3500; Pub. L. 107–56, title VIII, § 810(e), Oct. 26, 2001, 115 Stat. 380.) HISTORICAL AND REVISION NOTES Based on section 105 of title 50, U.S.C., 1940 ed., War and National Defense (Apr. 20, 1918, ch. 59, § 5, as added Nov. 30, 1940, ch. 926, 54 Stat. 1221). Words ‘‘upon conviction thereof’’ were omitted as un- necessary, since punishment cannot be imposed until a conviction is secured. Minor changes were made in phraseology. Editorial Notes AMENDMENTS 2001—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 107–56 substituted ‘‘20 years’’ for ‘‘ten years’’ and inserted ‘‘, and, if death re- sults to any person, shall be imprisoned for any term of years or for life’’ before period at end. 1996—Pub. L. 104–294 substituted ‘‘, or’’ for ‘‘or’’ in section catchline. 1994—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103–322 substituted ‘‘fined under this title’’ for ‘‘fined not more than $10,000’’. 1954—Act Sept. 3, 1954, inserted conspiracy provisions. § 2156. Production of defective national-defense material, national-defense premises, or na- tional-defense utilities (a) Whoever, with intent to injure, interfere with, or obstruct the national defense of the United States, willfully makes, constructs, or attempts to make or construct in a defective manner, any national-defense material, na- tional-defense premises or national-defense util- ities, or any tool, implement, machine, utensil, or receptacle used or employed in making, pro- ducing, manufacturing, or repairing any such national-defense material, national-defense premises or national-defense utilities, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both. (b) If two or more persons conspire to violate this section, and one or more of such persons do any act to effect the object of the conspiracy, each of the parties to such conspiracy shall be punished as provided in subsection (a) of this section. (June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 800; Sept. 3, 1954, ch. 1261, title I, § 105, 68 Stat. 1218; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(L), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147; Pub. L. 104–294, title VI, § 601(f)(12), Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3500.)