---
kind: "section"
citation: "18 U.S.C. § 3487"
title: "18"
title_heading: "Crimes and Criminal Procedure"
number: "3487"
heading: "Refusal to pay as evidence of embezzlement"
release: "119-102"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/18/3487"
units:
  - "Part II — Criminal Procedure"
  - "Chapter 223 — Witnesses and Evidence"
---

# §3487. Refusal to pay as evidence of embezzlement


The refusal of any person, whether in or out of office, charged with the safe-keeping, transfer, or disbursement of the public money to pay any draft, order, or warrant, drawn upon him by the Government Accountability Office, for any public money in his hands belonging to the [United States](/usc/18/5.md), no matter in what capacity the same may have been received, or may be held, or to transfer or disburse any such money, promptly, upon the legal requirement of any authorized [officer](/usc/18/202.md?p=c), shall be deemed, upon the trial of any indictment against such person for embezzlement, prima facie evidence of such embezzlement.


## Source credit

(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 833; Pub. L. 108–271, § 8(b), July 7, 2004, 118 Stat. 814.)

## Notes

### Historical and Revision Notes

Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 180 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, § 94, 35 Stat. 1106; June 10, 1921, ch. 18, § 304, 42 Stat. 24).

“General Accounting Office” was substituted for “proper accounting officer of the Treasury”.

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2004—Pub. L. 108–271 substituted “Government Accountability Office” for “General Accounting Office”.