(1) A person who, with intent to defraud or cheat by falsely presenting the facts and circumstances of a crime to the commission, causes an award of money to be made under this act to any person is guilty of a crime as follows:
  (a) If the award is less than $200.00, a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 93 days or a fine of not more than $500.00, or both.

Attorney's Note

Under the Michigan Laws, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:
ClassPrisonFine
Dup to 10 years
For details, see Mich. Comp. Laws ch. 777 pt. 2

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Terms Used In Michigan Laws 18.366

  • Commission: means the crime victim services commission. See Michigan Laws 18.351
  • Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
  • Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
  • Crime: means an act that is 1 of the following:
   (i) A crime under the laws of this state or the United States that causes an injury within this state. See Michigan Laws 18.351
  • Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • person: may extend and be applied to bodies politic and corporate, as well as to individuals. See Michigan Laws 8.3l
  • Presentence report: A report prepared by a court's probation officer, after a person has been convicted of an offense, summarizing for the court the background information needed to determine the appropriate sentence. Source: U.S. Courts
  • Transcript: A written, word-for-word record of what was said, either in a proceeding such as a trial or during some other conversation, as in a transcript of a hearing or oral deposition.
  • Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
  •   (b) If any of the following apply, the person is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 1 year or a fine of not more than $2,000.00 or 3 times the amount of the award, whichever is greater, or both imprisonment and a fine:
      (i) The award is $200.00 or more but less than $1,000.00.
      (ii) The person violates subdivision (a) and has 1 or more prior convictions for committing or attempting to commit an offense under this section.
      (c) If any of the following apply, the person is guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than 5 years or a fine of not more than $10,000.00 or 3 times the amount of the award, whichever is greater, or both imprisonment and a fine:
      (i) The award is $1,000.00 or more but less than $20,000.00.
      (ii) The person violates subdivision (b)(i) and has 1 or more prior convictions for violating or attempting to violate this section. For purposes of this subparagraph, however, a prior conviction does not include a conviction for violating or attempting to violate subdivision (a) or (b)(ii).
      (d) If any of the following apply, the person is guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than 10 years or a fine of not more than $15,000.00 or 3 times the amount of the award, whichever is greater, or both imprisonment and a fine:
      (i) The award is $20,000.00 or more.
      (ii) The person violates subdivision (c)(i) and has 2 or more prior convictions for committing or attempting to commit an offense under this section. For purposes of this subparagraph, however, a prior conviction does not include a conviction for violating or attempting to violate subdivision (a) or (b)(ii).
      (2) A person who makes public or discloses to an unauthorized person information that is confidential under this act is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 93 days or a fine of not more than $1,000.00, or both.
      (3) Awards in violation of this section in separate incidents pursuant to a scheme or course of conduct within any 12-month period may be aggregated to determine the total awards.
      (4) If the prosecuting attorney intends to seek an enhanced sentence based upon the defendant having 1 or more prior convictions, the prosecuting attorney shall include on the complaint and information a statement listing the prior conviction or convictions. The existence of the defendant’s prior conviction or convictions shall be determined by the court, without a jury, at sentencing or at a separate hearing for that purpose before sentencing. The existence of a prior conviction may be established by any evidence relevant for that purpose, including, but not limited to, 1 or more of the following:
      (a) A copy of the judgment of conviction.
      (b) A transcript of a prior trial, plea-taking, or sentencing.
      (c) Information contained in a presentence report.
      (d) The defendant’s statement.
      (5) If the sentence for a conviction under this section is enhanced by 1 or more convictions, those prior convictions shall not be used to further enhance the sentence for the conviction pursuant to section 10, 11, or 12 of chapter IX of the code of criminal procedure, 1927 PA 175, MCL 769.10, 769.11, and 769.12.