Selling Stolen Property to a Pawn Shop

My question involves police conduct in the State of: Hawaii

History is my cousin sold a tool to pawn shop that someone now claims is stolen. Cousin used his legal ID and gave a fingerprint not knowing that the tool was stolen. Cousin is worried he will get busted for selling stolen tool to pawn shop.

The someone who claims the tool is stolen has no receipt of purchase and there is no serial number to trace the tool to his ownership.

Can the police press charges against my cousin with no receipt or serial number and only this persons word that the tool is stolen?

Maybe, maybe not. It will depend on the totality of the facts at hand

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Quoting JudgeJudy

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Can the police press charges against my cousin with no receipt or serial number and only this persons word that the tool is stolen?

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Can they?

Yes.

Will they? No way to predict.

How did your cousin get the tool?

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Quoting adjusterjack

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Can they?

Yes.

Will they? No way to predict.

How did your cousin get the tool?

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Something is going to tell me that he ether found it or bought it dirt cheap on the street so he could pawn it knowing he would get more money.

My cousin says he buy the tool off craigslist. Only reason he pawned it was he no need anymore and his wife wanted space in the garage. He got $25 for it.

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Quoting JudgeJudy

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My cousin says he buy the tool off craigslist. Only reason he pawned it was he no need anymore and his wife wanted space in the garage. He got $25 for it.

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Great! There would be a record of the transaction on Craigslist. He will also have the emails that he could use as proof. If he gets the other guys info and passes that on to the detective, he would be off the hook. Of course he would have to tell the detective that when he bought the tool, he had no idea that it was stolen. If the detective gets the Cragslist guys info, he will arrest him and not your cousin. If he dosn't get that info, your cousin will be arrested for possession of stolen goods.

Craigslist doesn't maintain any record of transactions. All it has is advertisements.

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Quoting flyingron

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Craigslist doesn't maintain any record of transactions. All it has is advertisements.

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You may be right. I was thinking when you are signed in there is a history of your own postings. But regardless, emails and phone records will have some type of information that could lead to the seller.

Thats the thing, seems no one has any receipts, or way to prove ownership .

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Quoting JudgeJudy

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Thats the thing, seems no one has any receipts, or way to prove ownership .

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If you think that if the victim of a thief can't find a receipt, they cannot prosecute the thief, you're in for a rude awakening.