lar·ce·ny
–noun, plural -nies. Law.
the wrongful taking and carrying away of the personal goods
of another from his or her possession with intent to convert
them to the taker's own use.
And for your reading -- How California feels about it:
The crime of receiving stolen property occurs when a person
buys or possesses property that has been stolen through
theft, fraud, deceit, embezzlement, or taken by any other
unlawful means by someone else. The receiver of stolen property could be convicted if he or
she knew the goods were stolen at the time of receipt and
was intending to aid the thief. Here are some examples: A person buys a luxury watch from a street vendor at a
surprisingly low price
A person suddenly acquires an expensive TV, car and/or other
high-priced items without having the financial means to do
so
A person offers his or her garage for storing unlawfully
acquired items
A person receives a copy of an unlawfully acquired private
or unpublished document, transcript, deed, or other form of
intellectual property
California Law
According to California Penal Code Section 496, conviction
can apply to “Every person who buys or receives any property
that has been stolen, knowing the property to be so stolen
or obtained…” or if a person “conceals, sells, withholds, or
helps to conceal, sell, or withhold any property from the
owner.” Depending on the value of the property in question and the
discretion of the district attorney, this crime could be
charged as a misdemeanor or a felony in California (also
known as a “wobbler.”) Penalties for Receiving Stolen Property
A typical misdemeanor conviction, for property valued at
under $400, is punishable by paying a fine and/or spending
up to one year in county jail depending on how the judge
classifies this punishment "in the interests of justice."
The penalty for a misdemeanor conviction can also be
increased if the defendant has any prior theft convictions. A felony conviction for receiving stolen property or aiding
a thief could result in being sent to state prison or county
jail for up to 1 year. The prison term is based on the
severity of the crime: the value of the stolen property and
the defendant’s prior criminal record.
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23:50:35 04/26/09
