§ 47-1503. Ownership and operation of chop shop - Alteration of vehicle identification number - Purchase or sale of parts from altered vehicle - Exceptions - Attempt - Conspiracy - Solicitation - Aiding and abetting - Accessory after fact - Penalties - Sentence - Restitution.

A.  Any person who knowingly and with intent that a violation of this section be committed:

1.  Owns, operates, or conducts a chop shop;

2.  Transports any motor vehicle or motor vehicle part to or from a location knowing it to be a chop shop; or

3.  Sells, transfers, purchases, or receives any motor vehicle or motor vehicle part either to or from a location knowing it to be a chop shop,

upon conviction, is guilty of a felony, punishable by imprisonment for not more than ten (10) years, or by a fine of not more than One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00), or both such imprisonment and fine.

B.  Any person who knowingly alters, counterfeits, defaces, destroys, disguises, falsifies, forges, obliterates, or knowingly removes a vehicle identification number, with the intent to misrepresent the identity or prevent the identification of a motor vehicle or motor vehicle part, upon conviction is guilty of a felony, punishable by imprisonment for not more than ten (10) years, or by a fine of not more than One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00), or both such imprisonment and fine.

C.  1.  Any person who buys, disposes, sells, transfers, or possesses a motor vehicle or motor vehicle part, with knowledge that the vehicle identification number of the motor vehicle or motor vehicle part has been altered, counterfeited, defaced, destroyed, disguised, falsified, forged, obliterated, or removed, upon conviction is guilty of a felony, punishable by imprisonment for not more than five (5) years, or by a fine of not more than Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00), or by both such imprisonment and fine.

2.  The provisions of paragraph 1 of this subsection shall not apply to a motor vehicle scrap processor who, in the normal legal course of business and in good faith, processes a motor vehicle or motor vehicle part by crushing, compacting, or other similar methods, provided that any vehicle identification number is not removed from the motor vehicle or motor vehicle part prior to or during any such processing.

3.  The provisions of paragraph 1 of this subsection shall not apply to any owner or authorized possessor of a motor vehicle or motor vehicle part which has been recovered by law enforcement authorities after having been stolen or where the condition of the vehicle identification number of the motor vehicle or motor vehicle part is known to or has been reported to law enforcement authorities.  It shall be presumed that law enforcement authorities have knowledge of all vehicle identification numbers on a motor vehicle or motor vehicle part which are altered, counterfeited, defaced, disguised, falsified, forged, obliterated, or removed, when law enforcement authorities deliver or return the motor vehicle or motor vehicle part to its owner or authorized possessor after it has been recovered by law enforcement authorities after having been reported stolen.

D.  A person commits an attempt when, with intent to commit a violation proscribed by subsections A, B or C of this section the person does any act which constitutes a substantial step toward the commission of the violation proscribed by subsections A, B or C of this section, and upon conviction is guilty of a felony, punishable by imprisonment for not more than five (5) years, or by a fine of not more than Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00), or by both such imprisonment and fine.

E.  A person commits conspiracy when, with an intent that a violation proscribed by subsections A, B or C of this section be committed, the person agrees with another to the commission of the violation proscribed by subsections A, B or C of this section, and upon conviction is guilty of felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than two (2) years, or by a fine of not more than Twenty-five Thousand Dollars ($25,000.00), or by both such imprisonment and fine.  No person may be convicted of conspiracy under this section unless an act in furtherance of such agreement is alleged and proved to have been committed by that person or a coconspirator.

F.  A person commits solicitation when, with intent that a violation proscribed by subsections A, B or C of this section be committed, the person commands, encourages, or requests another to commit the violation proscribed by subsections A, B or C of this section, and upon conviction is guilty of a felony, punishable by imprisonment for not more than two (2) years, or by a fine of not more than Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00), or by both such imprisonment and fine.

G.  A person commits aiding and abetting when, either before or during the commission of a violation proscribed by subsections A, B or C of this section, with the intent to promote or facilitate such commission, the person aids, abets, agrees or attempts to aid another in the planning or commission of the violation proscribed by subsections A, B or C of this section, and upon conviction is guilty of a felony, punishable by imprisonment for not more than one (1) year, or by a fine of not more than Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00), or by both such imprisonment and fine.

H.  A person is an accessory after the fact who maintains, assists, or gives any other aid to an offender while knowing or having reasonable grounds to believe the offender to have committed a violation under subsections A, B, C, D, E, F or G of this section, and upon conviction is guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than one (1) year, or by a fine of not more than Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00), or by both such imprisonment and fine.

I.  No prosecution shall be brought, and no person shall be convicted, of any violation under this section, where acts of the person, otherwise constituting a violation were done in good faith in order to comply with the laws or regulations of any state or territory of the United States, or of the federal government of the United States.

J.  The sentence imposed upon a person convicted of any violation of this section shall not be reduced to less than one (1) year imprisonment for a second conviction of any violation, or less than five (5) years for a third or subsequent conviction of any violation of this section, and no sentence imposed upon a person for a second or subsequent conviction of any violation of this section shall be suspended, or reduced, until such person shall have served the minimum period of imprisonment provided for herein.  A person convicted of a second or subsequent violation of this section shall not be eligible for probation, parole, furlough or work release.

K.  1.  In addition to any other punishment, a person who violates this section, shall be ordered to make restitution to the lawful owner or owners of the stolen motor vehicle or vehicles or the stolen motor vehicle part or parts, or to the owner's insurer to the extent that the owner has been compensated by the insurer, and to any other person for any financial loss sustained as a result of a violation of this section.

Financial loss shall include, but not be limited to, loss of earnings, out-of-pocket and other expenses, repair and replacement costs and claims payments.  Lawful owner shall include an innocent bona fide purchaser for value of a stolen motor vehicle or stolen motor vehicle part who does not know that the motor vehicle or part is stolen; or an insurer to the extent that such insurer has compensated a bona fide purchaser for value.

2.  The court shall determine the extent and method of restitution.  In an extraordinary case, the court may determine that the best interests of the victim and justice would not be served by ordering restitution.  In any such case, the court shall make and enter specific written findings on the record concerning the extraordinary circumstances presented which militated against restitution.

Added by Laws 1988, c. 158, § 3, operative July 1, 1988.  Amended by Laws 1997, c. 133, § 486, eff. July 1, 1999; Laws 1999, 1st Ex.Sess., c. 5, § 351, eff. July 1, 1999.

Note

NOTE:  Laws 1998, 1st Ex.Sess., c. 2, § 23 amended the effective date of Laws 1997, c. 133, § 486 from July 1, 1998, to July 1, 1999.