Granting a usurious loan to another person or assisting, in any capacity or in any way whatsoever, directly or indirectly, in obtaining or granting a usurious loan or a loan that would become usurious within the meaning of Article L. 314-6 is punishable by two years’ imprisonment and a fine of 300,000 euros.
In the event of a conviction, the court may also order:
1° The publication of its decision in full or in extracts, at the expense of the convicted person, in the newspapers that it designates, as well as the posting of this decision under the conditions set out in the Article 131-35 of the Criminal Code;
2° The closure, for a period of up to five years or permanently, of the business of which one of the persons responsible for the administration or management is convicted pursuant to the first paragraph of this article, possibly accompanied by the appointment of an administrator or liquidator;
3° The prohibition, in accordance with the procedures set out in the Article 131-27 of the Criminal Code, to hold a public office or to engage in the professional or social activity in the exercise or on the occasion of the exercise of which the offence was committed, or to engage in a commercial or industrial profession, or to direct, administer, manage or control in any capacity whatsoever, directly or indirectly, on one’s own behalf or on behalf of another, a commercial or industrial enterprise or a commercial company. These disqualifications may not exceed five years. They may be imposed cumulatively.
In the event of closure, the court shall determine the period during which the offender or the business must continue to pay its staff the salaries, allowances and remuneration of any kind to which they were previously entitled; this period may not exceed three months.