A. Every person who trades or deals as a bank, or carries on banking, without authority of law, and their officers and agents, is guilty of a Class 6 felony.

Attorney's Note

Under the Virginia Code, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:
ClassPrisonFine
Class 6 felonyup to 5 yearsup to $2,500
For details, see Va. Code § 18.2-10

Terms Used In Virginia Code 6.2-938

  • Bank: means a corporation authorized by statute to accept deposits and to hold itself out to the public as engaged in the banking business in the Commonwealth. See Virginia Code 6.2-800
  • Commission: means the State Corporation Commission. See Virginia Code 6.2-100
  • 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: means any individual, corporation, partnership, association, cooperative, limited liability company, trust, joint venture, government, political subdivision, or other legal or commercial entity. See Virginia Code 6.2-100

B. The Commission shall have authority to examine the accounts, books, and papers of any person who it has reason to suspect is doing a banking business, in order to ascertain whether such person has violated, or is violating, any provision of this title. The refusal to submit such accounts, books, and papers shall be prima facie evidence of such violation.

Code 1950, § 6-133; 1966, c. 584, § 6.1-111; 1992, c. 136; 1994, c. 7; 2010, c. 794.