Bates v. United States, 522 U.S. 23, 7 (1997)

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Cite as: 522 U. S. 23 (1997)

Opinion of the Court

On appeal, the Seventh Circuit vacated the District Court's judgment and reinstated the prosecution. 96 F. 3d 964 (1996). The Court of Appeals concluded that § 1097(a) required the Government to prove only that "the defendant misapplied—i. e., converted—Title IV funds and that he did so knowingly and willfully." Id., at 970. The Seventh Circuit's decision conflicts with the Eleventh Circuit's decision in United States v. Kammer, 1 F. 3d 1161, 1165-1166 (1993), which held that § 1097(a) requires the Government to allege and prove that the defendant had an "intent to defraud" the United States. We granted certiorari to resolve this conflict, 519 U. S. 1108 (1997), and now affirm the Seventh Circuit's judgment.

II

Our inquiry begins with the text of 20 U. S. C. § 1097(a) (1988 ed.). At the time of the offenses charged in the indictment, the measure provided in relevant part: "Any person who knowingly and willfully embezzles, misapplies, steals, or obtains by fraud, false statement, or forgery any funds, assets, or property provided or insured under this subchapter . . . shall be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned for not more than 5 years, or both." 3

The text of § 1097(a) does not include an "intent to defraud" state of mind requirement, and we ordinarily resist reading words or elements into a statute that do not appear on its face. In contrast, § 1097(d), enacted at the same time as § 1097(a), makes it a felony "knowingly and willfully" to "destro[y] or concea[l] any record relating to the provision of assistance under [Title IV] with intent to defraud the United States" (emphasis added). As this Court has reiterated: " '[W]here Congress includes particular language in one section of a statute but omits it in another section of the same Act, it is generally presumed that Congress acts intention-3 Higher Education Amendments of 1986, Pub. L. 99-498, § 490(a), 100 Stat. 1491.

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