(a) Except as provided in this section, a person who wilfully violates any material provision of this act, except section 407(a),¹ or any rule under this act, or any order of which he has notice, or who violates section 407(a) knowing that the statement made was false or misleading in any material respect, commits a felony of the third degree and may be fined not more than two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) or imprisoned for not more than seven years, or both, if the amount of money paid by the purchaser for the securities involved in the violation is less than two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000), and not more than five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) or imprisoned for not more than seven years, or both, if the amount of money or securities involved in the violation is two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) or more. In addition to fine or imprisonment, or both, a person may be sentenced to make restitution.

(b) A person who wilfully violates section 401,² 408³ or 409⁴ commits a felony of the second degree and may be fined not more than one million dollars ($1,000,000) or imprisoned for not more than ten years, or both. In addition to fine or imprisonment, or both, the person may be sentenced to make restitution.

(d) A person who knowingly alters, destroys, shreds, mutilates, conceals, covers up, falsifies or makes a false entry in any record, document or tangible object with the intent to impede, obstruct or influence an investigation by the department under section 510⁵ or an examination under section 304(d) commits a felony of the second degree and may be fined not more than five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) or imprisoned for not more than ten years, or both.

(e) A person who knowingly alters, destroys, shreds, mutilates or conceals a record, document or other object or attempts to do so with the intent to impair its integrity or availability for use in a proceeding before the department or in a proceeding brought by the department or otherwise obstructs, influences or impedes such proceedings or attempts to do so commits a felony of the second degree and may be fined not more than five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) or imprisoned for not more than ten years, or both.

(f) A person who knowingly, with the intent to retaliate, takes any action harmful to another person, including interference with the lawful employment or livelihood of another person, for providing the department with any truthful information relating to a violation of this act commits a felony of the second degree and may be fined not more than five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) or imprisoned for not more than ten years, or both.

(h) The following persons have jurisdiction to investigate violations of this section and institute criminal proceedings for any violation of this section:

(i) No person charged with a violation of this section by the Attorney General shall have standing to challenge the authority of the Attorney General to investigate or prosecute the case, and, if any such challenge is made, the challenge shall be dismissed and no relief shall be available in the courts of this Commonwealth to the person making the challenge.