                 TITLE 18--CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
 
                             PART I--CRIMES
 
                   CHAPTER 73--OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE
 
Sec. 1516. Obstruction of Federal audit

    (a) Whoever, with intent to deceive or defraud the United States, 
endeavors to influence, obstruct, or impede a Federal auditor in the 
performance of official duties relating to a person receiving in excess 
of $100,000, directly or indirectly, from the United States in any 1 
year period under a contract or subcontract, or relating to any property 
that is security for a mortgage note that is insured, guaranteed, 
acquired, or held by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development 
pursuant to any Act administered by the Secretary, or relating to any 
property that is security for a loan that is made or guaranteed under 
title V of the Housing Act of 1949, shall be fined under this title, or 
imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.
    (b) For purposes of this section--
        (1) the term ``Federal auditor'' means any person employed on a 
    full- or part-time or contractual basis to perform an audit or a 
    quality assurance inspection for or on behalf of the United States; 
    and
        (2) the term ``in any 1 year period'' has the meaning given to 
    the term ``in any one-year period'' in section 666.

(Added Pub. L. 100-690, title VII, Sec. 7078(a), Nov. 18, 1988, 102 
Stat. 4406; amended Pub. L. 103-322, title XXXII, Sec. 320609, Sept. 13, 
1994, 108 Stat. 2120; Pub. L. 104-294, title VI, Sec. 604(b)(43), Oct. 
11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3509; Pub. L. 105-65, title V, Sec. 564, Oct. 27, 
1997, 111 Stat. 1420; Pub. L. 106-569, title VII, Sec. 709(b), Dec. 27, 
2000, 114 Stat. 3018.)

                       References in Text

    The Housing Act of 1949, referred to in subsec. (a), is act July 15, 
1949, ch. 338, 63 Stat. 413, as amended. Title V of the Act is 
classified generally to subchapter III (Sec. 1471 et seq.) of chapter 8A 
of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. For complete classification 
of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 1441 
of Title 42 and Tables.


                               Amendments

    2000--Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 106-569 inserted ``or relating to any 
property that is security for a loan that is made or guaranteed under 
title V of the Housing Act of 1949,'' before ``shall be fined under this 
title''.
    1997--Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 105-65 inserted ``or relating to any 
property that is security for a mortgage note that is insured, 
guaranteed, acquired, or held by the Secretary of Housing and Urban 
Development pursuant to any Act administered by the Secretary,'' after 
``under a contract or subcontract,''.
    1996--Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 104-294 inserted ``and'' after 
semicolon at end.
    1994--Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 103-322 substituted ``section--'' for 
``section'', inserted ``(1)'' before ``the term'', substituted semicolon 
for the period at end, and added par. (2).


                    Effective Date of 1996 Amendment

    Amendment by Pub. L. 104-294 effective Sept. 13, 1994, see section 
604(d) of Pub. L. 104-294, set out as a note under section 13 of this 
title.
