(a) No person, with purpose to defraud an insurer or knowing that he or she is facilitating a fraud with respect to an alleged claim upon a policy of motor vehicle theft insurance, shall knowingly present to an insurer or an agent of an insurer a written instrument that falsely alleges the theft of a motor vehicle.
(b) Whoever violates this section is guilty of presenting a false insurance claim for the theft of a motor vehicle, a misdemeanor of the first degree, provided the instrument alleges that the value of the motor vehicle is less than three hundred dollars ($300.00). Punishment shall be as provided in Section 698.02. (ORC 2913.47)