A person who willfully changes or attempts to change, or who tampers with, obliterates, defaces, or in any manner interferes with the original or assigned motor number or manufacturer's serial number of any motor vehicle or vessel, or with any of the secret or identifying numbers placed by the manufacturer of a motor vehicle or vessel by the Commissioner or any of the parts thereof upon the vehicle or vessel or parts, shall be fined not more than $1,000.00 or imprisoned not more than one year, or both, for the first offense and fined not more than $5,000.00 or imprisoned not more than five years, or both, for each subsequent offense.
23 V.S.A. § 1703