Penalties — Us Code Code § 2344
Us Code Code § 2344 — Penalties. Reproduced from the official United States Code, with a citation summary, verification link, and related provisions.
§ 2344. Penalties
(a) Whoever knowingly violates section 2342(a) of this title shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.
(b) Whoever knowingly violates any rule or regulation promulgated under section 2343(a) or 2346 of this title or violates section 2342(b) of this title shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both.
(c) Any contraband cigarettes or contraband smokeless tobacco involved in any violation of the provisions of this chapter shall be subject to seizure and forfeiture. The provisions of chapter 46 of title 18 relating to civil forfeitures shall extend to any seizure or civil forfeiture under this section. Any cigarettes or smokeless tobacco so seized and forfeited shall be either—
(1) destroyed and not resold; or
(2) used for undercover investigative operations for the detection and prosecution of crimes, and then destroyed and not resold.
(Added Pub. L. 95–575, §1, Nov. 2, 1978, 92 Stat. 2464; amended Pub. L. 99–514, §2, Oct. 22, 1986, 100 Stat. 2095; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, §330016(1)(K), (S), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147, 2148; Pub. L. 109–177, title I, §121(b)(4), (d), Mar. 9, 2006, 120 Stat. 222, 223.)
Editorial Notes
Amendments
2006—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 109–177 inserted "or contraband smokeless tobacco" after "contraband cigarettes", substituted "seizure and forfeiture. The provisions of chapter 46 of title 18 relating to civil forfeitures shall extend to any seizure or civil forfeiture under this section. Any cigarettes or smokeless tobacco so seized and forfeited shall be either—" for "seizure and forfeiture, and all provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 relating to the seizure, forfeiture, and disposition of firearms, as defined in section 5845(a) of such Code, shall, so far as applicable, extend to seizures and forfeitures under the provisions of this chapter.", and added pars. (1) and (2).
1994—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103–322, §330016(1)(S), substituted "fined under this title" for "fined not more than $100,000".
Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 103–322, §330016(1)(K), substituted "fined under this title" for "fined not more than $5,000".
1986—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 99–514 substituted "Internal Revenue Code of 1986" for "Internal Revenue Code of 1954".
About This Section
18 U.S.C. § 2344 is part of Title 18 of the United States Code. The United States Code is the official codification of federal statutes maintained by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the U.S. House of Representatives. Congress amends the Code through new public laws, which are eventually incorporated into the relevant title.
This section may be cited in legal writing as 18 U.S.C. § 2344. For the most current official text, including any recent amendments, use the official source links below. Do not rely on this page as the sole authority for legal citation or litigation.
How to Read This Statute
Statutes are organized by title, chapter, section, and subsection. Pay attention to words like "shall," "may," "and," and "or," because they determine whether a requirement is mandatory or permissive and whether multiple conditions must all be met. Historical notes and amendments often appear at the end of a section.
Using This Page
This page is intended for research and educational use. Lawyers, students, journalists, and compliance professionals can use it as a starting point, but should always verify the current text through an official government source before relying on it for legal advice, filings, or compliance decisions.