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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Posts
    3

    Default Charged With Sale of Stolen Property

    My question involves criminal law for the state of: Washington

    Hi, I am a little freaked out my an email i recieved from someone.

    Ok Almost year ago i bought broken 26" lcd screen of craiglist for 100$. couldnt fix, and i didnt want to break it more so i just put it on the stack of broken stuff i have. Its a year later i decide to sell it on craigslist for 100$ because i need the moeny. Everything goes fine. Then 2 weeks later The guy emails me back. Saying we have a problem i Guess he had the tv fixed then added to his homeowners insurance when the homeowners insurance ran the serial number it cam up stole from someones porch in virginia . i am going to copy paste what the guy said because it sounds kind of weird
    Below is the letter from the guy i sold the tv to:


    This is _____the guy who bought the TV from you.
    Well, we have a BIG problem. Apparently a ________ County Sheriff
    Deputy who apparently ran the serial number on that TV says it's stolen.
    From he gathered, it was reported stolen off someone's Doorstep after
    being delivered to a home in Virginia by UPS. According to the deputy
    we can handle this in one of 2 ways. (1.) Either I can hand the TV over
    to him and he'll take the TV into evidence against you then he'll promptly
    file theft report with whatever prosecutor's jurisdiction you live in and have
    you charged with "trafficking stolen property across state line's," which
    in this case since the TV was stolen outside of Washington State, this is definitely be a Federal matter, regardless as to whether you received
    the TV within this state or if in fact you are the person who stole it? or (2.)
    and since I told the deputy who I am and my high rank and so fourth in the Navy, along with the fact you seemed to be a good person, he gave me a "Ball in my court" option to request that you come give my money back,
    take the TV, and it'll all stop there. Otherwise, he will be here to take a
    report from me, pick up the TV, then he will proceed as I've stated.
    Therefore, I think it would be in your best interest if you'd contact me
    ASAP to resolve this matter. Otherwise it is out of my hand's to a point
    where there'll be nothing I can do about it. My telephone number is
    __________ You have 24 hour's to get hold of me.


    I totally believe the should go back to the owner and not me. And if the police were there wouldnt have the taken the tv into evidence instead of letting him keep it or giving it back to me. I have decided to pay him the 100$ because everything i look up says i am liable for his money. I just want to know how much trouble can i get in and any other info people have . I am really freaking out from the stress of a federal felony for a broken tv.


    ps i emailed him and asked the name of the police officer and at first his wife told me there werent aloud to say, then they told me his name and it is a real deputy(i checked)

  2. #2

    Default Re: Charged With Sale of Stolen Property

    I would make sure if he is telling the truth and hire an attorney for this matter.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Key West, FL
    Posts
    2,350

    Default Re: Charged With Sale of Stolen Property

    First, I never consider an email any sort of a legal notification.

    Secondly, there is no evidence as to the truth of his statement, which could just be a trick to get a refund for a lcd that doesn't work and maybe isn't worth repairing.

    Third, If you purchased from someone on Craigslist (the number one method of selling stolen property) then you are an innocent holder in due course and no criminal liability attaches. Generally though the last person holding the bag is the one out the money. Kind of like musical chairs.

    Finally, I would NEVER go pick up an item that is claimed to be stolen property. DUH!

    Why does he even still have the TV? Would not the police take it into evidence if it is really stolen property? No local police officer can have you charged with a federal crime. He can take a report and provide it to the FBI. The FBI, if they are interested, will have the local office send an agent to talk to you. Then if they are really interested, they can track down the person who sold it it to you. NOT! The FBI is not going to go to the trouble for a tv set. Nothing will happen in all likelihood.

    Even if true, I would be surprised if any law enforcement agency would go to the trouble of prosecuting you or pursing any case for that matter.

    Obviously you were not crusing the streets of Virginia in the hopes of finding something to steal. If it was stolen right after it was delivered, why didn't it work?

    I would tell the person that you are an innocent seller of the property and you have no actual evidence it was ever stolen. The last person holding the property is the one holding the bag.

    There are a number of things wrong with the email, some of which I have pointed out. How did the serial number get run? Insurance companies do not do that routinely nor do they have access to NCIC databases. Go ask a local cop to run some serial numbers through NCIC for you to see if you bought any stolen property. I can hear the laughing from here. NCIC can only be used for legitimate law enforcement purposes. I have a former State Attorney before a grand jury for misuse of NCIC.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Posts
    3

    Default Re: Charged With Sale of Stolen Property

    Hi, i thank you for your response, i am just hoping for a little more incite, then just get a lawyer. IF "cdwjava" is around i would really appreciate your incite as an LEO. thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read my post

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Behind a Desk
    Posts
    98,846

    Default Re: Charged With Sale of Stolen Property

    I don't find the story credible. If a police officer has determined that the TV is stolen, why would he be returning it to you rather than taking it into evidence?

    Can you document that you purchased the TV off of craigslist? If somebody peers behind the surface of your craigslist ads or "stack of broken stuff", are they going to find other stolen items? (No offense; it's a valid concern.)

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Posts
    3

    Default Re: Charged With Sale of Stolen Property

    hi, thank you for your response. i bought it off craigslist like a year ago, just some ad that said broken tv and to call, i didnt even think off saving the ad. I pretty sure nothing i have is stolen(well i guess i cant say that anymore) but i have never sold a stolen thing in my life. And all the people i buy off of craigslist seem like really nice people and i never thought anything of it. Thats why i am so suprised and scared of this situation. I sent him an email saying please have the officer double check, and that the tv should be returned to its rightfull owner and told him i would pay the money( since everything i looked up said i am liable) and he sent me this email back


    Good evening ______. it's _____. As a matter of fact the sheriff deputy
    called the number's in my presence. And "Yes," it came back stolen.
    At that moment, the deputy started accusing me of possessing stolen
    property, then he wanted to take me to jail. Fortunately my commanding
    officer and_______ were here. My commander asked me if I indeed had
    proof of where I got the TV from? I then whipped out my laptop where
    I was able to show them a copy of your ad which I relied on to buy the
    TV, along with my outgoing letter to you. Next, my commander told the deputy he had known me over 21 year's, and when I was the trustee in
    charge over materials management, where I caught 3 of my own
    personnel stealing and I prosecuted them. Finally he advised the
    deputy that I am the second highest ranked _______the Navy.
    At that point, the deputy called his prescient office where his sergeant
    advised him that since I have proof of where I got the TV from, he
    wanted the deputy to take the TV into evidence, have me to write
    up a report, then he wanted to immediately file a complaint against you
    with the police in your jurisdiction on the Federal basis of "Trafficking
    in stolen property." This was when I told the deputy that you seemed
    like a nice guy and that I seriously doubt you'd risk hauling a stolen
    TV all the way from __ to __. But then the deputy
    told me that commonly thieves sell stolen property on craigslist
    where Buyer's are not likely to check things out. _____ I had to
    really convince that deputy that you just did not seem like that
    sort of person who'd come to some ones house to sell a hot TV.
    This is when the deputy came up with the second option. Also we've
    learned that the TV was stolen from some elderly people who live
    in Virginia after they had it delivered to them through UPS. Of course
    _______, I'm not into people who'd steal from other's as why I choose
    to fight for our country and to live within the law. What I'm going to
    do is let the police return the TV to whosoever owns it, because I certainly
    don't want anything in my presence that is stolen. Also you can make
    the money orderout to my wife, _________, since she manages all
    of the money around here. I'm really sorry this all happened. The
    police got involved after my homeowner's insurance company ran
    the number's then reported it to the police. When the deputy calls
    me back, I will tell him you are givnging my money back and that he
    can give the TV back to whosoever owns it.


    Take care,

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    California
    Posts
    20,594

    Default Re: Charged With Sale of Stolen Property

    I would consider asking for the name of the agency and the deputy's name. Then, look up the agency in the phone book and give them a call asking for the deputy.

    I doubt it's a scam if all he is asking for is his original $100 back, so something is going on. However, I seriously doubt that the feds are going to deal with this at all even if it can be shown that the TV crossed state lines. This is well below their dollar threshold and the U.S. Attorney's Offices are a tad too busy to deal with such things unless they suspect you of being part of a larger operation.

    It is up to you whether you give this guy back the $100 or not. If you do not, he can try to come after you in small claims court ... or, not. I'd be less concerned with the $100 and more concerned with the deputy.

    If the deputy DOES want to speak to you about the matter, you should consider cooperating fully but you might want to speak with an attorney first. If you refuse to talk to the deputy, they may not have enough to charge you, but you can bet that they will look at you real hard and MIGHT leverage some charge such as possession of stolen property against you.

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