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Illinois Criminal Code of 1961

Article 17: Tampering with Devices

This portion of Illinois criminal law discusses punishments for fraudulently tampering with auto vehicles. If a person tampers with an odometer in a used motor vehicle, or installs an object in lieu of an airbag, he or she can be found guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.

In a similar vein, the Illinois Criminal Code prohibits a person from tampering with any life safety systems, such as fire alarms or security systems. If these systems have been tampered with, it could pose great danger to the inhabitants of a building. If the defendant knowingly sabotages or destroys any of these devices, he or she can be convicted of a Class 4 felony.

Need an Illinois criminal defense attorney? If you've been arrested for tampering in Illinois, call our Chicago criminal defense attorneys today at (312) 466-9466 to discuss your case.

The text below comes from Article 17B of the Illinois Criminal Code of 1961. This law may have changed -- please read the important legal disclaimer at the bottom of this page.

Sec. 17-11. Odometer Fraud.
    (720 ILCS 5/17-11)

Any person who shall, with intent to defraud another, disconnect, reset, or alter, or cause to be disconnected, reset or altered, the odometer of any used motor vehicle with the intent to conceal or change the actual miles driven shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor. A person convicted of a second or subsequent violation of this Section shall be guilty of a Class 4 felony. This Section shall not apply to legitimate business practices of automotive parts recyclers who recycle used odometers for resale. (Source: P.A. 84-1391; 84-1438.)

Sec. 17-11.1. Hour meter fraud.
    (720 ILCS 5/17-11.1)

Any person who, with intent to defraud another, disconnects, resets, or alters, or causes to be disconnected, reset, or altered, the hour meter of any used farm implement, including but not limited to tractors and combines, with intent to conceal or change the actual hours of operation, shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor. A person convicted of a second or subsequent violation of this Section shall be guilty of a Class 4 felony. This Section shall not apply to legitimate practices of implement parts recyclers who recycle used hour meters for resale. (Source: P.A. 89-255, eff. 1-1-96; 89-626, eff. 8-9-96.)

Sec. 17-11.2. Installation of object in lieu of air bag.
    (720 ILCS 5/17-11.2)

Any person who for consideration knowingly installs or reinstalls in a vehicle any object in lieu of an air bag that was designed in accordance with federal safety regulations for the make, model, and year of the vehicle as part of a vehicle inflatable restraint system is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor. (Source: P.A. 92-809, eff. 1-1-03.)

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DISCLAIMER: These excerpts from the law are provided for reference purposes only. Visitors to our Chicago criminal defense lawyer website should be aware that Illinois criminal laws have been amended many times and that Illinois crime laws posted on this site may not be current. In addition, Illinois criminal case law defines precedents for legal determinations that are not defined in the original laws.

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