Property Crime

Stolen Property

It is illegal to receive or purchase any property or goods that are recognizable as being stolen items. Simply having property that was stolen in your possession is not enough to be considered a crime. There are four factors involved in order to indicate criminal activity in regard to receiving stolen property.

1. The property must have been purposely stolen at some point.

2. The stolen property must be taken or purchased.

3. The person who receives the property must know that the merchandise had been stolen.

4. By accepting the property, the person who receives it displays an intention of keeping it from the rightful owner for their own personal gain.

When all four of these factors are met, the receipt of stolen property is a criminal act.

Reasonable Suspicion

While a person who receives or purchases property may not be specifically told that it is stolen merchandise, that person may be expected to reasonably assume this under certain circumstances. For example, a person who purchases products from someone that they met in an alley behind a store that sells those products should be able to reasonably assume that the goods were stolen. This is especially true if they are offered at a large discount from the price that would be paid at the retail location.

Entrapment

In some cases, a law enforcement officer may coerce a person into purchasing a stolen item. They may use extreme tactics of encouragement to convince a person to receive the stolen goods even if that person would normally not participate in this form of illegal activity. Entrapment is an unjust procedure and it would be used as a defense in support of the person who received the stolen good during a trial.

Results

Depending on the state a person found receiving stolen property, they may receive punishment in the form of a fine or jail time. In some states, the value of the property that was received will be considered when determining the punishment. Therefore, a person who receives stolen goods that have a very low worth may receive a lesser punishment than someone who receives merchandise of great value.

Anyone who is caught receiving stolen property may be convicted of a criminal act, regardless of whether the person who originally stole the merchandise was arrested.