c. 266, § 141A

Misrepresentation of mileage of motor vehicle by turning back or readjusting speedometer or odometer; criminal penalty

Up to 2 years Fraud & Money Ch. 266 · Crimes Against Property

Official text prohibited actmental stateif conditionpenaltylegal term

Whoever, with the intent to misrepresent to a prospective or eventual purchaser the number of miles traveled by a motor vehicle, turns back or readjusts the speedometer or odometer thereof shall be punished by a fine of not less than five hundred nor more than one thousand dollars, or by imprisonment in a jail or house of correction for not less than thirty days nor more than two years, or both. In a prosecution under this section, evidence that a dealer, as defined in section one of chapter ninety, or a person required to be licensed under the provisions of section fifty-nine of chapter one hundred and forty, by himself or by another turned back or readjusted the speedometer or odometer shall constitute prima facie evidence of such intent to misrepresent.

Simplified explanation

Turning back or readjusting a motor vehicle's speedometer or odometer to misrepresent its mileage to a buyer is punishable by a $500 to $1,000 fine, 30 days to 2 years in jail, or both.