West Virginia Code 17A-8-13 – Theft of a motor vehicle offered for sale which had been obtained for temporary use for demonstration purposes; penalty
(a) A person is guilty of theft of a motor vehicle when:
Terms Used In West Virginia Code 17A-8-13
- Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
- Motor vehicle: means every vehicle which is self-propelled and every vehicle which is propelled by electric power obtained from overhead trolley wires, but not operated upon rails. See West Virginia Code 17A-1-1
- Owner: means a person who holds the legal title to a vehicle, or in the event a vehicle is the subject of an agreement for the conditional sale or lease thereof with the right of purchase upon performance of the conditions stated in the agreement and with an immediate right of possession vested in the conditional vendee or lessee, or in the event a mortgagor of a vehicle is entitled to possession, then the conditional vendee or lessee or mortgagor shall be considered the owner for the purpose of this chapter. See West Virginia Code 17A-1-1
- Person: means every natural person, firm, copartnership, association, or corporation. See West Virginia Code 17A-1-1
(1) Such person, under the terms of an oral agreement, obtains, for demonstration purposes, the temporary use of a motor vehicle offered for sale and, in so doing, makes a false or fraudulent representation or utilizes a false pretense or personation, trick, artifice or device; and
(2) Such person thereafter possesses such motor vehicle with the intent to permanently deprive the owner of such motor vehicle of his property.
(b) Any person who violates the provisions of this section is guilty of a felony, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be imprisoned in the penitentiary not less than one nor more than ten years, or, in the discretion of the court, be confined in the county jail not more than one year and shall be fined not more than $500.
(c) For purposes of this section, the making of a false or fraudulent representation or the utilization of a false pretense or personation, trick, artifice or device shall include, but not be limited to, a false representation as to name, residence, employment, or operator's license.