As a federal country, the United States have established laws preventing or prosecuting records thefts.

In the 18 United States Code, there is a part on concealment, removal or mutilation of records. It says that anyone who tries or succeeds in damaging archives shall be guilty and imprisoned, which may last three years. And it concerns a large variety of archives: record, proceeding, map, book, paper, document, or other thing. Moreover, if archivists are found guilty of such crimes, they risk the same punishment and cannot have the custody of any record anymore, wherever the public institution they may try to work in.

Another article mentions public records theft: stealing them is as wrong as stealing public money or property of any kind. A public record is considered as such as long as it is the property of the United States, their departments and agencies. And if the theft sells the stolen properties of the States, he may be imprisoned ten years, if the stolen records are of great value.

In the 44 Unites State Code, there is an add to the other laws. The persons in charge of a federal department or agency are due to report any risk or sign of destruction and removal of the records related to their agencies. The national Archivists are informed and can take actions to secure or increase the security of the records.

In order to stop, or at least lessen the stealing, the National Archives have found a way to get some help, directly from the users and lectors of the Archives. By their web site, they give a way to alert archivists if there are publics records found on web auctions sites for illegal sale.

http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2071

http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/641

http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/44/3106

http://www.archives.gov/research/recover/

N. CONEJERO

AMERICAN LAWS AGAINST THEFT OF PUBLIC RECORDS

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