46 U.S.C. § 12507

1. (a)A person shall be fined under title 18, imprisoned for not more than 2 years, or both, if the person with the intent to defraud—
   1. (1)provides false information to the Secretary of Transportation or a State issuing authority regarding the identification of a vessel under this chapter; or
   2. (2)tampers with, removes, or falsifies the unique vessel identification number assigned to a vessel under section 12502 of this title.
2. (b)A person is liable to the United States Government for a civil penalty of not more than $10,000 if the person—
   1. (1)provides false information to the Secretary or a State issuing authority regarding the identification of a vessel under this chapter;
   2. (2)violates section 12502 of this title; or
   3. (3)fails to comply with requirements prescribed by the Secretary under section 12505 of this title.
3. (c)A vessel involved in a violation of this chapter, or regulation under this chapter, and its equipment, may be seized by, and forfeited to, the Government.
4. (d)If a person, not an individual, is involved in a violation of this chapter, the president or chief executive of the person also is subject to any penalty provided under this section.