U.S. Code » Title 18 » Part PART I— CRIMES › Chapter CHAPTER 27— CUSTOMS

18 U.S.C. § 553

Importation or exportation of stolen motor vehicles, off-highway mobile equipment, vessels, or aircraft

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(a) Whoever knowingly imports, exports, or attempts to import or export—(1) any motor vehicle, off-highway mobile equipment, vessel, aircraft, or part of any motor vehicle, off-highway mobile equipment, vessel, or aircraft, knowing the same to have been stolen; or(2) any motor vehicle or off-highway mobile equipment or part of any motor vehicle or off-highway mobile equipment, knowing that the identification number of such motor vehicle, equipment, or part has been removed, obliterated, tampered with, or altered;shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 10 years, or both.(b) Subsection (a)(2) shall not apply if the removal, obliteration, tampering, or alteration—(1) is caused by collision or fire; or(2)(A) in the case of a motor vehicle, is not a violation of section 511 of this title (relating to altering or removing motor vehicle identification numbers); or(B) in the case of off-highway mobile equipment, would not be a violation of section 511 of this title if such equipment were a motor vehicle.(c) As used in this section, the term—(1) “motor vehicle” has the meaning given that term in section 32101 of title 49;(2) “off-highway mobile equipment” means any self-propelled agricultural equipment, self-propelled construction equipment, and self-propelled special use equipment, used or designed for running on land but not on rail or highway;(3) “vessel” has the meaning given that term in section 401 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1401);(4) “aircraft” has the meaning given that term in section 40102(a) of title 49; and(5) “identification number”—(A) in the case of a motor vehicle, has the meaning given that term in section 511 of this title; and(B) in the case of any other vehicle or equipment covered by this section, means a number or symbol assigned to the vehicle or equipment, or part thereof, by the manufacturer primarily for the purpose of identifying such vehicle, equipment, or part.(Added Pub. L. 98–547, title III, § 301(a), Oct. 25, 1984, 98 Stat. 2771; amended Pub. L. 100–690, title VII, § 7021, Nov. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 4396; Pub. L. 102–519, title I, § 102, Oct. 25, 1992, 106 Stat. 3385; Pub. L. 103–272, § 5(e)(5), July 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 1374.)Editorial NotesAmendments

1994—Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 103–272, § 5(e)(5)(A), substituted “section 32101 of title 49” for “section 2 of the Motor Vehicle Information and Cost Savings Act”.

Subsec. (c)(4). Pub. L. 103–272, § 5(e)(5)(B), substituted “section 40102(a) of title 49” for “section 101 of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 (49 U.S.C. App. 1301)”.

1992—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 102–519 substituted “fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 10 years” for “fined not more than $15,000 or imprisoned not more than five years” in concluding provisions.

1988—Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 100–690 amended par. (2) generally. Prior to amendment, par. (2) read as follows: “is not a violation of section 511 of this title.”

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 20 cases (2 in the last 5 years), 1939–2022 · leading case: Nikolay Tantchev v. Merrick B. Garland
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Nikolay Tantchev v. Merrick B. Garland (2022) ca6 · cites it 8× “Relevant to this appeal, Tantchev was charged with exporting stolen vehicles under 18 U.S.C. § 553 . Id. at 650, 652 . The case went to trial, and the jury convicted Tantchev on all charges.”
United States v. Myat Maung (2001) ca11 · cites it 2× “§ 2321 (a) by receiving and possessing with intent to sell cars with altered identification numbers, and on one count of exporting stolen cars in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 553 . The district court sentenced Maung to 39 months in prison and ordered him to pay $218,895.”
United States v. Nikolay Tantchev (2019) ca7 “See 18 U.S.C. § 553 (a) ("Whoever knowingly imports, exports or attempts to import or export-(1) any motor vehicle.”
Rocco P. Digiovanni, Jr. v. Traylor Brothers, Inc. (1992) ca1 “( 18 U.S.C. § 553 (c)(3)): [“VJessel” has the meaning given that term in Section 401 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.”
United States v. Myat Maung (2003) ca11 “§ 2321 (a) by receiving and possessing with intent to sell cars with altered identification numbers, and on one count of exporting stolen cars in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 553 . In a previous appeal, we affirmed Maung’s conviction but reversed his 39-month sentence because we…”
United States v. Laday (1995) ca5 “POLITZ, Chief Judge: Ashton Laday appeals the rejection of his motion to withdraw his plea of nolo contende-re to the charge of exportation of a stolen vehicle, 18 U.S.C. § 553 . For the reasons assigned we vacate the sentence and remand for compliance with the plea agreement…”
United States v. Exarhos (1998) ca11 · cites it 2× “export stolen vehicles in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 553 (a). Count 2. Defendants Morrison and Exarhos possessed a vehicle part (Porsche engine) with * Honorable Harry W.”
United States v. Reid (2002) mad “18 U.S.C. § 553 (a)(1). An armed forces provision authorizes the Secretary of Defense to institute a system of reporting to Congress on the readiness of the armed forces, including a measurement of “the extent to which units of the armed forces remove serviceable parts,…”
Bostic v. Rives (1939) cadc “1152 , 18 U.S.C.A. § 553 ], Under this statute the allegation in the indictment that the injury causing the death was inflicted in the District affirmatively showed jurisdiction.”
United States v. Bautista-Gunter (2022) ca5 “” See 18 U.S.C. §§ 553 (a)(2)(C), 3583(d)(2). We agree with the district court’s assessment.”
United States v. Luis Ledesma (1995) ca11 “ANDERSON, Circuit Judge: Ledesma pled guilty to knowingly attempting to export two stolen motor vehicles, a Lexus and a Mercedes 560 SL convertible, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 553 (a). He was sentenced to nine months imprisonment.”
United States v. Michael Collazo-Martinez (1989) ca1 · cites it 3× “Michael Collazo Martinez (“Collazo”) appeals from his conviction for attempted exportation of a stolen vehicle, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 553 (a)(1). 1 During the period in question, Collazo was employed as a police officer by the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.”
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