{"jurisdiction": "us-ny", "code": "penal", "section": "496.02", "citation": "Penal Law § 496.02", "heading": "Corrupting the government in the fourth degree", "text": ["§ 496.02 Corrupting the government in the fourth degree.", "A person is guilty of corrupting the government in the fourth degree when, being a public servant, or acting in concert with a public servant, he or she engages in a scheme constituting a systematic ongoing course of conduct with intent to defraud the state or one or more political subdivisions of the state or one or more governmental instrumentalities within the state to obtain property, actual services or other resources, or obtain property, actual services or other resources from the state, or any political subdivision or governmental instrumentality of the state by false or fraudulent pretenses, representations or promises, and thereby wrongfully obtains such property, actual services or other resources.", "Corrupting the government in the fourth degree is a class E felony."], "official_source": "https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/PEN/496.02", "from_official_api": true, "plain_english": "A **public servant**, or someone acting in concert with one, who engages in a scheme that is a **systematic ongoing course of conduct**, intending to **defraud** the state, a political subdivision, or a governmental instrumentality to obtain property, actual services, or other resources or to obtain them from the government **by false or fraudulent pretenses, representations or promises**, and thereby **wrongfully obtains** such property, services, or resources commits **corrupting the government in the fourth degree, a class E felony**. ★", "in_force_on": "2026-05-31", "retrieved": "2026-09-27", "url": "https://elyphived.com/us-ny/penal/496.02", "publisher": "Elyphived LLC"}