---
kind: "section"
citation: "18 U.S.C. § 21"
title: "18"
title_heading: "Crimes and Criminal Procedure"
number: "21"
heading: "Stolen or counterfeit nature of property for certain crimes defined"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/18/21"
units:
  - "Part I — Crimes"
  - "Chapter 1 — General Provisions"
---

# §21. Stolen or counterfeit nature of property for certain crimes defined

- (a) Wherever in this title it is an element of an offense that—
  - (1) any property was embezzled, robbed, stolen, converted, taken, altered, counterfeited, falsely made, forged, or obliterated; and
  - (2) the defendant knew that the property was of such character;

  such element may be established by proof that the defendant, after or as a result of an [official representation](#b) as to the nature of the property, believed the property to be embezzled, robbed, stolen, converted, taken, altered, counterfeited, falsely made, forged, or obliterated.

- (b) For purposes of this section, the term “official representation” means any representation made by a [Federal law enforcement officer](/usc/18/2246.md?p=7) (as defined in [section 115](/usc/18/115.md)) or by another [person](/usc/18/229F.md?p=5) at the direction or with the approval of such an [officer](/usc/18/202.md?p=c).

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXII, § 320910(a), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2127.)