Attorney's Note

Under the Wisconsin Statutes, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:
ClassPrisonFine
Class H felonyup to 6 yearsup to $10,000
For details, see § 939.50

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Terms Used In Wisconsin Statutes 134.20

  • Following: when used by way of reference to any statute section, means the section next following that in which the reference is made. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
  • Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
  • Person: includes all partnerships, associations and bodies politic or corporate. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
   (1)    Whoever, with intent to defraud, does any of the following is guilty of a Class H felony:
      (a)    Issues a warehouse receipt or bill of lading covering goods which, at the time of issuance of the receipt or bill, have not been received or shipped in accordance with the purported terms and meaning of such receipt or bill.
      (b)    Issues a warehouse receipt or bill of lading which the person knows contains a false statement.
      (c)    Issues a duplicate or additional warehouse receipt or bill of lading, knowing that a former receipt or bill for the same goods or any part of them is outstanding and uncanceled.
      (d)    Issues a warehouse receipt covering goods owned by the warehouse keeper, either solely or jointly or in common with others, without disclosing such ownership in the receipt.
      (e)    Delivers goods out of the possession of such warehouse keeper or carrier to a person who he or she knows is not entitled thereto or with knowledge that the goods are covered by a negotiable warehouse receipt or bill of lading which is outstanding and uncanceled and without obtaining possession of such receipt or bill at or before the time of delivery and either canceling it or conspicuously noting thereon any partial deliveries made.
      (f)    In any manner removes beyond the immediate control of a warehouse keeper or carrier any goods covered by a warehouse receipt or bill of lading issued by such warehouse keeper or carrier, contrary to the terms and meaning of such receipt or bill and without the consent of the holder thereof.
      (g)    Negotiates or transfers for value a warehouse receipt or bill of lading covering goods which he or she knows are subject to a lien or security interest, other than the warehouse keeper’s or carrier’s lien, or to which he or she does not have title or which he or she knows have not been received or shipped in accordance with the purported terms and meaning of the warehouse receipt or bill of lading and fails to disclose those facts to the purchaser thereof.
   (2)   In this section:
      (a)    “Bill of lading” means a document evidencing the receipt of goods for shipment issued by a person engaged in the business of transporting or forwarding goods, and includes an airbill. “Airbill” means a document serving for air transportation as a bill of lading does for marine or rail transportation, and includes an air consignment note or air waybill.
      (b)    “Warehouse receipt” means a receipt issued by a person engaged in the business of storing goods for hire.