(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.