13 U.S.C. § 305 Penalties For Unlawful Export Information Activities

• Library: United States Statutes
• Edition: 2023
• Currency: Current through P.L. 118-34 (published on www.congress.gov on 12/26/2023), except for [P. L. 118-31]
• Year: 2023
• Citation: 13 U.S.C. § 305

(a) CRIMINAL PENALTIES.-

(1) FAILURE TO FILE; SUBMISSION OF FALSE OR MISLEADING INFORMATION.-Any person who knowingly fails to file or knowingly submits false or misleading export information through the Shippers Export Declaration (SED) (or any successor document) or the Automated Export System (AES) shall be subject to a fine not to exceed $10,000 per violation or imprisonment for not more than 5 years, or both.

(2) FURTHERANCE OF ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES.-Any person who knowingly reports any information on or uses the SED or the AES to further any illegal activity shall be subject to a fine not to exceed $10,000 per violation or imprisonment for not more than 5 years, or both.

(3) FORFEITURE PENALTIES.-Any person who is convicted under this subsection shall, in addition to any other penalty, be subject to forfeiting to the United States-

(A) any of that person's interest in, security of, claim against, or property or contractual rights of any kind in the goods or tangible items that were the subject of the violation;

(B) any of that person's interest in, security of, claim against, or property or contractual rights of any kind in tangible property that was used in the export or attempt to export that was the subject of the violation; and

(C) any of that person's property constituting, or derived from, any proceeds obtained directly or indirectly as a result of the violation.

(b) CIVIL PENALTIES.-The Secretary (and officers of the Department of Commerce specifically designated by the Secretary) may impose a civil penalty not to exceed $10,000 per violation on any person violating the provisions of this chapter or any rule, regulation, or order issued thereunder, except as provided in section 304. Such penalty may be in addition to any other penalty imposed by law.

(c) CIVIL PENALTY PROCEDURE.-

(1) IN GENERAL.-Whenever a civil penalty is sought for a violation of this section or of section 304, the charged party is entitled to receive a formal complaint specifying the charges and, at his or her request, to contest the charges in a hearing before an administrative law judge. Any such hearing shall be conducted in accordance with sections 556 and 557 of title 5, United States Code.

(2) COMMENCEMENT OF CIVIL ACTIONS.-If any person fails to pay a civil penalty imposed under this chapter, the Secretary may request the Attorney General to commence a civil action in an appropriate district court of the United States to recover the amount imposed (plus interest at currently prevailing rates from the date of the final order). No such action may be commenced more than 5 years after the date the order imposing the civil penalty becomes final. In such action, the validity, amount, and appropriateness of such penalty shall not be subject to review.