§ 2322. — Chop shops.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 18USC2322]
TITLE 18--CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
PART I--CRIMES
CHAPTER 113--STOLEN PROPERTY
Sec. 2322. Chop shops
(a) In General.--
(1) Unlawful action.--Any person who knowingly owns, operates,
maintains, or controls a chop shop or conducts operations in a chop
shop shall be punished by a fine under this title or by imprisonment
for not more than 15 years, or both. If a conviction of a person
under this paragraph is for a violation committed after the first
conviction of such person under this paragraph, the maximum
punishment shall be doubled with respect to any fine and
imprisonment.
(2) Injunctions.--The Attorney General shall, as appropriate, in
the case of any person who violates paragraph (1), commence a civil
action for permanent or temporary injunction to restrain such
violation.
(b) Definition.--For purposes of this section, the term ``chop
shop'' means any building, lot, facility, or other structure or premise
where one or more persons engage in receiving, concealing, destroying,
disassembling, dismantling, reassembling, or storing any passenger motor
vehicle or passenger motor vehicle part which has been unlawfully
obtained in order to alter, counterfeit, deface, destroy, disguise,
falsify, forge, obliterate, or remove the identity, including the
vehicle identification number or derivative thereof, of such vehicle or
vehicle part and to distribute, sell, or dispose of such vehicle or
vehicle part in interstate or foreign commerce.
(Added Pub. L. 102-519, title I, Sec. 105(a), Oct. 25, 1992, 106 Stat.
3385.)
Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in title 49 section 33103.
