Receiving stolen property may sound like a minor offense - after all, it was someone else who committed the theft - but in Oklahoma, receiving stolen property can be a felony offense leading to up to five years in prison. What is and is not sufficient for the crime of receiving stolen property in Oklahoma can be surprising for those not familiar with the law, and those investigated and charged with the crime can be in for a rude awakening when activity they thought was legal turns out to be the basis for felony charges.
The Basics of Receiving Stolen Property in Oklahoma
You can be convicted for the crime of receiving stolen property in Oklahoma if the following conditions are met:
- You received property;
- The property was stolen, embezzled, taken by false pretenses, or otherwise withheld from its proper owner; and
- You either knew or had reasonable cause to believe the property was improperly taken from its rightful owner.
Conviction for receiving stolen property when the property is worth $1,000.00 or more is a felony which can lead to five years imprisonment in a state penitentiary plus a criminal fine. If the property is worth less than that amount, the crime is a misdemeanor which can lead to six months in a county jail in addition to a criminal fine.
You Can Be Charged Even if You Didn’t Know the Property Was Stolen
As the elements above point out, there is no requirement that a defendant actually “knew” that the property was stolen to be charged and convicted. For example, they do not have to be told by the seller/giver of the property that it was stolen or anyone else for that matter.
