FEDERAL · 18 U.S.C. · Chapter 81
Plunder of distressed vessel
18 U.S.C. § 1658
Title18 — Crimes and Criminal Procedure
Chapter81 — PIRACY AND PRIVATEERING
This text of 18 U.S.C. § 1658 (Plunder of distressed vessel) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.
Bluebook
18 U.S.C. § 1658.
Text
(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.
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Related
United States v. Terry Wayne Denson, Stephen Orlando and Joseph James Janish, Defendants- in Re United States of America
588 F.2d 1112 (Fifth Circuit, 1979)
United States v. Polizzi
549 F. Supp. 2d 308 (E.D. New York, 2008)
Ionian Shipping Co. v. British Law Insurance Co.
314 F. Supp. 1121 (S.D. New York, 1970)
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(E.D. California, 2024)
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Source Credit
History
(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 775; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, §330016(1)(K), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147.)
Editorial Notes
Historical and Revision Notes
Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., §488 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, §297, 35 Stat. 1146).
Mandatory punishment provision in subsection (a) was rephrased in the alternative.
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 $5,000".
Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., §488 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, §297, 35 Stat. 1146).
Mandatory punishment provision in subsection (a) was rephrased in the alternative.
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 $5,000".
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Bluebook (online)
18 U.S.C. § 1658, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/usc/18/1658.