Section 10-4-32. Criminal penalties for violations; immunity of sureties

   (a) Every person who, without lawful authority, shall convert to his own use, or use for purposes of securing a loan, or remove from a warehouse under this article, contrary to this article or the regulations promulgated under this article, any agricultural product received at such warehouse for storage; or who shall forge, alter, counterfeit, simulate, or falsely misrepresent, or without proper authority use any license issued by the Commissioner under this article; or who shall issue or utter a false or fraudulent receipt or certificate of weight or grade or other class for any agricultural product under this article; or change with fraudulent intent in any manner an original receipt or such a certificate subsequent to issuance, shall be guilty of a felony and shall be fined not less than $2,000.00 nor more than $20,000.00 or double the value of the products involved if such double value exceeds $20,000.00, or imprisoned for not less than two years nor more than ten years, or both.

(b) Every person who shall fraudulently alter or falsely represent a sample drawn under this article; or who shall fraudulently grade, otherwise classify, or weigh, or draw with intent to deceive a false sample of any agricultural product received at any warehouse under this article for storage; or who otherwise shall violate any provision of this article or of the regulations promulgated under this article, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

(c) For the purposes of this Code section the bondsman bonding such person or warehouseman shall not be liable for the criminal penalties provided in this Code section.

Ga. L. 1953, Nov.-Dec. Sess., p. 412, § 24.