Statement by seller required; failure to exact statement evidence of fraudulent intent; exoneration from criminal knowledge

A. (1) Every secondhand dealer shall obtain a signed statement from the seller that the junk or used or secondhand property has been paid for or is owned by the seller, and a failure of the dealer to exact a statement from the seller shall be prima facie evidence of the fraudulent intent and guilty knowledge on the part of the dealer within the meaning of this Part, sufficient to warrant a conviction. (2) In transactions involving railroad track materials, a secondhand dealer shall require the party seeking to sell or dispose of the materials to furnish a signed statement from the appropriate railroad company consenting to the sale of the railroad track materials identified in the statement, which shall be retained by the secondhand dealer. The statement shall include the name of the railroad company consenting to the sale and the name, employee number, and phone number of the person signing the statement authorizing the sale. The secondhand dealer shall attempt to verify the authenticity of the statement authorizing the sale of the railroad track materials. B. A secondhand dealer who obtains the required statement from the seller shall be exonerated from any fraudulent, willful, or criminal knowledge within the meaning of this Part.