Florida Criminal Defense Attorney Representing Clients Who Are Accused Of Dealing In Stolen Property
If you are a resident of Duval County, Greater Jacksonville, or Northeast Florida and have been accused of Dealing In Stolen Property, a second degree felony, contact criminal defense attorney MaRia Rogers. She has represented multiple clients on this charge and has the necessary experience to build an ironclad legal defense for you.
The Elements of Dealing in Stolen Property in FL
In order to be convicted of Dealing in Stolen Property in the State of Florida, the jury must be convinced beyond and to the exclusion of every reasonable doubt that:
- The accused purchased, possesses, obtained, used, sold, transferred, distributed, dispensed, or disposed of stolen property, and
- The accused knew or should have known that the property was stolen.
Often arrests for Dealing in Stolen Property are coupled with charges like Burglary, Trespass, Grand Theft, or Petit Theft.
In order to obtain a successful prosecution in FL, the assistant state attorney must prove that the accused had knowledge that the items pawned, obtained, traded, purchased, sold, or otherwise disposed of were stolen. Proof of possession of recently stolen items unless reasonably explained can give rise to an inference that the person knew or should have known that the property was stolen. Furthermore, proof of sale of stolen property at a price substantially below the fair market value unless reasonably explained can give rise to an inference that the person knew or should have known that the property was stolen. In other words, if the prosecutor can show that you had possession of the stolen property shortly after it went missing or that you sold the items for an unreasonably low price, that might be all that might be all that it needs to prove its case.
Many times stolen items are sold at pawnshops and scrap yards on EBay, Craig’s list, and Overstock. Many innocent people find themselves arrested and charged with Dealing in Stolen Property. Proving knowledge is often difficult for the State Attorney’s office. Northeastern Florida criminal defense attorney, Maria Rogers will examine the prosecutions case against you and look for flaws in their argument.
An Example of How an Innocent Person can be Accused of Dealing in Stolen Property
A fifty-six year old client with a seventh grade education hauls junk for a living. The client and a neighbor loaded up some old batteries stored in a garage. Most of the batteries were ancient, rusted, and broken. The client and neighbor, who is also in his late fifties with a similar education, loaded these batteries onto a truck and drove to the local scrap yard where they received cash. The cash was given to the individuals they were assisting and they each received a nominal amount for their labor. Later, the client and neighbor were arrested for Dealing in Stolen Property. It was later proven that these individuals did not have knowledge of the batteries being stolen nor could it be found that they should have known about it.
Hire a Jacksonville, FL Criminal Defense With Experience
If you find yourself arrested in Duval or Saint Johns County for Dealing in Stolen Property contact the Law Office of FLA Legal Professionals, LLC at (904) 352-2459 or toll free at: (888) 817-3829 immediately. She has years of experience to successfully defend you in this type of case.