Section 553.52. Criminal penalties.

 

(1)  Any person who willfully violates s. 553.41 (2) to (5) or any order of which the person has notice, or who violates s. 553.41 (1) knowing or having reasonable cause to believe either that the statement made was false or misleading in any material respect or that the failure to report a material event under s. 553.31 (1) was false or misleading in any material respect, is guilty of a Class G felony. Each of the acts specified is a separate offense, and a prosecution or conviction for any one of those offenses does not bar prosecution or conviction for any other offense.

(2)  Any person who employs, directly or indirectly, any device, scheme or artifice to defraud in connection with the offer or sale of any franchise or engages, directly or indirectly, in any act, practice, or course of business which operates or would operate as a fraud or deceit upon any person in connection with the offer or sale of any franchise is guilty of a Class G felony.

(3)  Nothing in this section limits the power of the state to punish any person for any conduct which constitutes a crime under any other statute.

1971 c. 241 ; 1981 c. 54 ; 1995 a. 364 ; 1997 a. 283 ; 2001 a. 109 .