2020 South Carolina Code of Laws
Title 56 - Motor Vehicles
Chapter 29 - Motor Vehicle Chop Shop, Stolen, And Altered Property Act
Section 56-29-30. Operation of chop shop unlawful; penalty, restitution.

(A) It is unlawful for a person to:

(1) own, operate, or conduct a chop shop;

(2) transport a motor vehicle or motor vehicle part to or from a location knowing it to be a chop shop; or

(3) sell, transfer, purchase, or receive a motor vehicle or motor vehicle part either to or from a location knowing it to be a chop shop.

A person who violates the provisions of this section is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, must be imprisoned not more than ten years or fined not more than one hundred thousand dollars, or both.

(B) A person who knowingly alters, counterfeits, defaces, destroys, disguises, falsifies, forges, obliterates, or knowingly removes a vehicle identification number, or causes any of the above to be done, with the intent to misrepresent the identity or prevent the identification of a motor vehicle or motor vehicle part, is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, must be imprisoned not more than five years or fined not less than five thousand nor more than ten thousand dollars, or both.

(C)(1) A 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, or causes any of the above to be done, is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, must be imprisoned not more than five years or fined not less than five thousand nor more than ten thousand dollars, or both.

(2) The provisions of item (1) of subsection (C) do 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 before or during the processing.

(D) A person commits an attempt when, with intent to commit a violation proscribed by subsection (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 those subsections and is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, must be imprisoned not more than five years or fined not less than five thousand nor more than ten thousand dollars, or both.

(E) A person commits the offense of conspiring to violate the provisions of this act if he knowingly and wilfully agrees with another person to the commission of the offenses proscribed by subsection (A), (B), or (C) of this section and is guilty of a felony. Upon conviction, the person must be imprisoned not more than five years, or fined not more than five thousand dollars.

(F)(1) In addition to any other punishment, a person who violates this section must be ordered to make restitution to the lawful owner of the stolen motor vehicle or the stolen motor vehicle part, 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 includes, but is not limited to, loss of earnings, out-of-pocket and other expenses, repair and replacement costs, and claims payments. Lawful owner includes 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 the 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 that case, the court shall make and enter specific written findings on the record concerning the extraordinary circumstances presented which militated against restitution.

HISTORY: 1987 Act No. 16, Section 4; 1993 Act No. 184, Section 253.