FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
State Rep. Mark Longietti                       D-Mercer                                       www.pahouse.com/Longietti

Longietti bill closing ‘chop shop’ loophole signed into law

HARRISBURG, Oct. 10 – State Rep. Mark Longietti, D-Mercer, announced that his legislation to close a loophole in Pennsylvania law regarding "chop shops" was signed into law by Gov. Ed Rendell on Thursday.

The bill (H.B. 1147) would strengthen the definition of a chop shop to prevent insurance scam artists from using a loophole in current law to evade prosecution in Pennsylvania. The bill would add language to the definition to include vehicles illegally obtained by theft, fraud or conspiracy to defraud. Chop shops disassemble vehicles, usually stolen ones, and sell the parts.

"Now vehicle owners and chop shop owners will be prosecuted in cases where they participated in fraud or conspiracy to defraud," Longietti said. 

Current law only makes it illegal to give a car to a chop shop and for the chop shop to cut it up when the vehicle is known to have been illegally obtained.  Where the vehicle owner reports their vehicle to be stolen, collects insurance proceeds and then takes it to a chop shop, both the vehicle and chop shop owners can avoid prosecution under the current law by arguing that the vehicle was not known to have been illegally obtained. 

Longietti said some perpetrators have used the current law’s vagueness to get away with thousands of dollars in insurance fraud. He said many vehicle owners have benefitted by participating in an insurance scam by simply giving their  car to a chop shop and then claiming it has been stolen to collect insurance money. Defendants then successfully argue in court that the car was not illegally obtained, but freely given to the chop shop.

Longietti noted that spelling out what is considered "illegally obtained" will provide prosecutors with a tool to hold con artists accountable for their crimes.

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