Ricers don’t get to steal stuff or buy stolen property any more than the rest of us do. No ID number on an engine means it’s stolen.
I wouldn’t go so far as to say it “means it’s stolen”. It’s certainly a red flag, but absent other evidence, not enough to prove anything. That’s the problem with these asset seizures, they do an end run around due process. If they want to prosecute him for a crime, and are convincing enough to get a conviction, then I have no problem with the seizure of the property being part of the sentence, which could also include jail time, restitution, etc.
Not necessarily.
If the engine is "built" by a HP company like Spoon, they probably started with a new block casting, which would not have a serial number....
A reman engine would have serial numbers, and if the engine was replaced in the car, it would not have the "correct" serial number.
Teens have been hot-rodding their rides since there have been cars, and engine/transmission swaps have been a part of hot-rodding....