---
kind: "section"
citation: "18 U.S.C. § 1518"
title: "18"
title_heading: "Crimes and Criminal Procedure"
number: "1518"
heading: "Obstruction of criminal investigations of health care offenses"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/18/1518"
units:
  - "Part I — Crimes"
  - "Chapter 73 — Obstruction of Justice"
---

# §1518. Obstruction of criminal investigations of health care offenses

- (a) [Whoever](/usc/18/921.md?p=a-1) willfully prevents, obstructs, misleads, delays or attempts to prevent, obstruct, mislead, or delay the communication of information or records relating to a violation of a [Federal health care offense](/usc/18/24.md?p=a) to a criminal investigator shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.
- (b) As used in this section the term “criminal investigator” means any individual duly authorized by a department, agency, or armed force of the [United States](/usc/18/229F.md?p=9) to conduct or engage in investigations for prosecutions for violations of health care offenses.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 104–191, title II, § 245(a), Aug. 21, 1996, 110 Stat. 2017.)