271.5—Coupons as obligations of the United States, crimes and offenses.
(a) Coupons as obligations.
Pursuant to section 15(d) of the Food Stamp Act, coupons are an obligation of the United States within the meaning of 18 United States Code (U.S.C.) 8. The provisions of Title 18 of the United States Code, “Crimes and Criminal Procedure,” relative to counterfeiting, misuse and alteration of obligations of the United States are applicable to coupons.
(b) Penalties.
Any unauthorized issuance, redemption, use, transfer, acquisition, alteration, or possession of coupons, ATP cards, or other program access device may subject an individual, partnership, corporation, or other legal entity to prosecution under sections 15 (b) and (c) of the Food Stamp Act or under any other applicable Federal, State or local law, regulation or ordinance.
Subject to the provisions of paragraph (2) of this subsection, whoever knowingly uses, transfers, acquires, alters, or possesses coupons, authorization cards, or access devices in any manner contrary to this Act or the regulations issued pursuant to this Act shall, if such coupons, authorization cards, or access devices are of a value of $5000 or more, be guilty of a felony and shall be fined not more than $250,000 or imprisoned for not more than twenty years, or both, and shall, if such coupons or authorization cards are of a value of $100 or more but less than $5000 or if the item used, transferred, acquired, altered or possessed is an access device that has a value of $100 or more but less than $5000 be guilty of a felony and shall upon the first conviction thereof, be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned for not more than five years, or both, and upon the second and any subsequent conviction thereof, shall be imprisoned for not less than six months nor more than five years and may also be fined not more than $10,000 or, if such coupons or authorization cards are of a value of less than $100, or if the item used, transferred, acquired, altered, or possessed is an access device that has a value of less than $100, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon the first conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than $1000 or imprisoned for not more than one year or both, and upon the second and any subsequent conviction thereof, shall be imprisoned for not more than one year and may also be fined not more than $1000. In addition to such penalties, any person convicted of a felony or misdemeanor violation under this subsection may be suspended by the court from participation in the food stamp program for an additional period of up to eighteen months consecutive to that period of suspension mandated by section 6(b)(1) of this Act.
In the case of any individual convicted of an offense under paragraph (b)(1) of this section, the court may permit such individual to perform work approved by the court for the purpose of providing restitution for losses incurred by the United States and the State agency as a result of the offense for which such individual was convicted. If the court permits such individual to perform such work and such individual agrees thereto, the court shall withhold the imposition of the sentence on the condition that such individual perform the assigned work. Upon the successful completion of the assigned work the court may suspend such sentence.
Whoever presents, or causes to be presented, coupons for payment or redemption of the value of $100 or more, knowing the same to have been received, transferred, or used in any manner in violation of the provisions of this Act or the regulations issued pursuant to this Act, shall be guilty of a felony and, upon the first conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than $20,000 or imprisoned for not more than five years, or both, and upon the second and any subsequent conviction thereof, shall be imprisoned for not less than one year nor more than five years and may also be fined not more than $20,000 or if such coupons are of a value of less than $100, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon the first conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than $1,000 or imprisoned for not more than one year, or both, and upon the second and any subsequent conviction thereof, shall be imprisoned for not more than one year and may also be fined not more than $1,000. In addition to such penalties, any persons convicted of a felony or misdemeanor violation under this subsection may be suspended by the court from participation in the food stamp program for an additional period of up to eighteen months consecutive to that period of suspension mandated by section 6(b)(1) of this Act.
(c) Security for coupons and ATP's.
All individuals, partnerships, corporations, or other legal entities including State agencies and their delegatees (referred to in this paragraph as “persons”) having custody, care and control of coupons and ATP's shall, at all times, take all precautions necessary to avoid acceptance, transfer, negotiation, or use of spurious, altered, or counterfeit coupons and ATP's and to avoid any unauthorized use, transfer, acquisition, alteration or possession of coupons and ATP's. These persons shall safeguard coupons and ATP's from theft, embezzlement, loss, damage, or destruction.
(d) Coupon issuers.
(1)
Any coupon issuer or any officer, employee or agent, thereof convicted of failing to provide the monthly reports required in § 274.5 or convicted of violating part 274 shall be subject to a fine of not more than $1,000, or imprisoned for not more than 1 year, or both.
(2)
Any coupon issuer or any officer, employee or agent, thereof convicted of knowingly providing false information in the reports required under § 274.5 shall be subject to a fine of not more than $10,000, or imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.
(e) Forfeiture and denial of property rights.
(1)
General. (i) Any nonfood items, moneys, negotiable instruments, securities, or other things of value furnished or intended to be furnished by any person in exchange for food coupons, authorization cards, or other program benefit instruments or access devices in any manner not authorized by the Food Stamp Act or regulations issued pursuant to the Act, shall be subject to forfeiture and denial of property rights. Such property is deemed forfeited to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) at the time it is either exchanged or offered in exchange.
(ii)
These forfeiture and denial of property rights provisions shall apply to property exchanged or offered in exchange during investigations conducted by the Inspector General, USDA, and by other authorized Federal law enforcement agencies.
(iii)
These forfeiture and denial of property rights provisions shall not apply to property exchanged or intended to be exchanged during the course of internal investigations by retail firms, during investigations conducted solely by State and local law enforcement agencies and without the participation of an authorized Federal law enforcement agency, or during compliance investigations conducted by the Food and Nutrition Service.
(2)
Custodians and their responsibilities. (i) The Inspector General, USDA, the Inspector General's designee, and other authorized Federal law enforcement officials shall be custodians of property acquired during investigations.
(B)
Request that the General Services Administration (GSA) take possession of the property and remove it to an appropriate location for storage and safekeeping.
(iii)
The custodian shall store property received at a location in the judicial district where the property was acquired unless good cause exists to store the property elsewhere.
(iv)
Custodians shall not dispose of property prior to the fulfillment of the notice requirements set out in paragraph 3, or prior to the conclusion of any related administrative, civil, or criminal proceeding, without reasonable cause. Reasonable cause to dispense with notice requirements might exist, for example, where explosive materials are being stored which may present a danger to persons or property.
(v)
Custodians may dispose of any property in accordance with applicable statutes or regulations relative to disposition. The custodian may:
(B)
Donate the property to Federal, State, or local government facilities such as hospitals or to any nonprofit charitable organizations recognized as such under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; or
(vi)
Proceeds from the sale of forfeited property and any moneys forfeited shall be used to pay all proper expenses of the proceedings for forfeiture and sale including expenses of seizure, maintenance of custody, transportation costs, and any recording fees. Moneys remaining after payment of such expenses shall be deposited into the general fund of the United States Treasury.
(3)
Notice requirements. (i) The custodian shall make reasonable efforts to notify the actual or apparent owner(s) of or person(s) with possessory interests in the property subject to forfeiture except for the good cause exception if the owner cannot be notified.
(B)
Inform the actual or apparent owner(s) of or person(s) with possessory interests in the property subject to forfeiture of the opportunity to request an administrative review of the forfeiture;
(C)
Inform the actual or apparent owner(s) of or person(s) with possessory interests in the property subject to forfeiture of the requirements for requesting administrative review of the forfeiture; and
(D)
State the title and address of the official to whom a request for administrative review of the forfeiture may be addressed.
(iii)
Except as provided in paragraphs (e)(3) (iv) and (v) of this section, notice shall be given within 45 days from the date the United States convicts, acquits, or declines to act against the person who exchanged the property.
(iv)
Notice may be delayed if it is determined that such action is likely to endanger the safety of a law enforcement official or compromise another ongoing criminal investigation conducted by OIG, the United States Secret Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, or other authorized Federal law enforcement agency.
(4)
Administrative review. (i) The actual or apparent owner(s) of or person(s) with possessory interests in the property shall have 30 days from the date of the delivery of the notice of forfeiture to make a request for an administrative review of the forfeiture.
(ii)
The request shall be made in writing to the Assistant Inspector General for Investigations, Office of Inspector General, USDA, or to his/her designee, hereinafter referred to as the reviewing official.
(iii)
A request for an administrative review of the forfeiture of property shall include the following:
(iv)
The requestor may, at the time of his/her written request for administrative review, also request an oral hearing of the reasons the property should not be forfeited.
(v)
The burden of proof will rest upon the requestor, who shall be required to demonstrate, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the property should not be forfeited.
(vi)
Should the administrative determination be in their favor, the actual or apparent owner(s) of or person(s) with possessory interests in the property subject to forfeiture may request that forfeited items be returned or that compensation be made if the custodian has already disposed of the property.
(B)
Establishes that the requestor at no time had any knowledge or reason to believe that the property was being or would be used in violation of the law; and
(C)
Establishes that the requestor at no time had any knowledge or reason to believe that the owner had any record or reputation for violating laws of the United States or of any State for related crimes.
(viii)
The reviewing official may postpone any decision until the conclusion of any related administrative, civil, or criminal proceeding.
(ix)
The decision of the reviewing official as to the disposition of the property shall be the final agency determination for purposes of judicial review.