9-66.000
PROTECTION
OF
GOVERNMENT
PROPERTY
9-66.010 Introduction
9-66.100 Protection of Government
Property -- Real Property
9-66.200 Protection of Government
Property -- Personalty
9-66.300 Embezzlement of
Government
Property
9-66.400 Protection of Public
Records,
Documents and Other Government Information
9-66.500 Destruction of
Government
Property (18 U.S.C. §§ 1361-1363, 1366)
One of the principal responsibilities of the federal
criminal law is
the protection of government property. The property holdings of
the United
States, its departments and agencies are extensive and include both
real and
personal property in this country and abroad. In order for the
Federal
government to perform the wide range of duties assigned to it by
law, it must
have ready access to these properties and resources. Therefore it
is very
important that these properties be protected from any theft, misuse
or
misappropriation.
This chapter focuses on the series of laws that Congress
has enacted
which prohibit the wrongful taking or misuse of land, personal
property and other
resources belonging to the United States.
Supervisory authority for prosecutions involving most
crimes against
government property rests with the Office of Enforcement Operations
of the
Criminal Division. However, responsibility for certain violent
crimes and those
involving willful destruction of government property may rest with
the Terrorism
and Violent Crime Section. Prior authorization of the Criminal
Division is not
required for instituting these prosecutions. United States
Attorneys with
questions regarding the application of these laws are encouraged,
however, to
contact the Criminal Division for assistance. For information on
investigatory
jurisdiction, see the Criminal
Resource Manual at
1629.