Effective 01 Jan 2017, see footnote
570.408. Perjury for the purpose of obtaining public assistance — penalty. — 1. A person commits the offense of perjury for the purpose of obtaining public assistance if he or she knowingly makes a false or misleading statement or misrepresents a fact material for the purpose of obtaining public assistance if the false or misleading statement is reduced to writing and verified by the signature of the person making the statement and by the signature of any employee of the Missouri department of social services. The same person may not be charged with unlawfully receiving public assistance benefits and perjury pursuant to this section when both offenses arise from the same application for benefits.
2. A statement or fact is material, regardless of its admissibility under rules of evidence, if it could substantially affect or did substantially affect the granting of public assistance.
3. Knowledge of the materiality of the statement or fact is not an element of this offense, and it is no defense that:
(1) The person mistakenly believed the fact to be immaterial; or
(2) The person was not competent, for reasons other than mental disability, to make the statement.
4. The offense of perjury for the purpose of obtaining public assistance is a class A misdemeanor, unless the value of the public assistance unlawfully obtained or unlawfully attempted to be obtained is seven hundred fifty dollars or more, in which case it is a class E felony, or the person has previously been found guilty of two violations under sections 570.400 to 570.410, in which case it is a class D felony.
--------
(L. 1987 S.B. 259 § 6, A.L. 2002 H.B. 1888, A.L. 2014 S.B. 491)
Transferred 2014; formerly 578.385; Effective 1-01-17
Copyright ©2024 LegalFix. All rights reserved. LegalFix is not a law firm, is not licensed to practice law, and does not provide legal advice, services, or representation. The information on this website is an overview of the legal plans you can purchase—or that may be provided by your employer as an employee benefit or by your credit union or other membership group as a membership benefit.
LegalFix provides its members with easy access to affordable legal services through a network of independent law firms. LegalFix, its corporate entity, and its officers, directors, employees, agents, and contractors do not provide legal advice, services, or representation—directly or indirectly.
The articles and information on the site are not legal advice and should not be relied upon—they are for information purposes only. You should become a LegalFix member to get legal services from one of our network law firms.
You should not disclose confidential or potentially incriminating information to LegalFix—you should only communicate such information to your network law firm.
The benefits and legal services described in the LegalFix legal plans are not always available in all states or with all plans. See the legal plan Benefit Overview and the more comprehensive legal plan contract during checkout for coverage details in your state.
Use of this website, the purchase of legal plans, and access to the LegalFix networks of law firms are subject to the LegalFix Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.