Possession of stolen goods

Officers of the Vancouver Police Department checking for stolen goods at a flea market

Possession of stolen goods is a crime in which an individual has bought, been given, or acquired stolen goods.

In many jurisdictions, if an individual has accepted possession of goods (or property) and knew they were stolen, then the individual may be charged with a crime, depending on the value of the stolen goods, and the goods are returned to the original owner. If the individual did not know the goods were stolen, then the goods are returned to the owner and the individual is not prosecuted. However, it can be difficult to prove or disprove a suspect's knowledge that the goods were stolen.


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