A recycler may not possess or exercise control over a vehicle or vehicle part that has had the vehicle identification number removed. It is not a defense that the recycler did not know that the vehicle identification number had been removed. Violation of this section is a Class E crime.   [PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. B, §5 (AFF).]