Senate Bill 2487

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 97-7-10, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO INCREASE THE PENALTY FOR THE CRIME OF FRAUDULENT STATEMENTS AND REPRESENTATIONS; TO AMEND SECTION 75-44-71, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO INCREASE THE PENALTIES FOR ANY PERSON WHO VIOLATES THE CHAPTER OF LAW WHICH GOVERNS THE LICENSING AND OPERATION OF GRAIN WAREHOUSES; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. Section 97-7-10, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

97-7-10. (1) Whoever, with intent to defraud the state or any department, agency, office, board, commission, county, municipality or other subdivision of state or local government, knowingly and willfully falsifies, conceals or covers up by trick, scheme or device a material fact, or makes any false, fictitious or fraudulent statements or representations, or makes or uses any false writing or document knowing the same to contain any false, fictitious or fraudulent statement or entry, shall, upon conviction, be punished by a fine of not more than * * * ~~Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00)~~ Twenty Thousand Dollars ($20,000.00) or by imprisonment for not more than * * * ~~five (5)~~ ten (10) years, or by both such fine and imprisonment.

(2) This section shall not prohibit the prosecution under any other criminal statute of the state.

SECTION 2. Section 75-44-71, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

75-44-71. (1) Any person who issues a warehouse receipt for grain without holding a valid grain warehouse license or who commits any willful violation of any provision of this chapter, shall be guilty of a felony, and upon conviction thereof, punishable by a fine of not more than * * * ~~twenty thousand dollars ($20,000.00)~~ Forty Thousand Dollars ($40,000.00) and/or imprisonment for not more than * * * ~~five (5)~~ ten (10) years.

(2) Any unintentional or negligent violation of this chapter shall be a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof, punishable by a fine of not more than * * * ~~five thousand dollars ($5,000.00)~~ Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) and/or imprisonment for not more than * * * ~~one (1)~~ two (2) years.

SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2022.