CRIME OF MISAPPROPRIATION OF OIL & GAS EQUIP.

SB 221 creates a new criminal offense in New Mexico for misappropriating petroleum products or oil and gas equipment, directly affecting individuals who take or misuse such assets without authorization. The bill defines this crime as actions like taking equipment without consent (e.g., drilling into pipelines, selling unlicensed petroleum products), with penalties ranging from a fourth-degree felony ($500 or less value) to a second-degree felony (over $2,500 value). It also adds this offense to the state’s Racketeering Act, allowing repeated violations within six months to be prosecuted as a single aggregated offense. The law targets theft or unauthorized use of equipment and products central to New Mexico’s oil and gas industry.