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Unknowingly Purchased Stolen Items...Questions..

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C

cadillac

Guest
YOUR STATE NAME - PA
My husband runs a small store which frequently buys/sells used items. He purchased a fairly large amount of items from a stranger, who said it was surplus from his job. The man drove a company truck, so it looked safe. And hubby asked him if it was stolen, and the man said no. Well, low & behold, the man had been stealing the stuff from his employers! The company owners came into the store today, and said they had fired the man, and their attorney advised not to prosecute him, they just wanted the stuff back. Well, hubby gave them the items, BUT now HUBBY is out alot of money. The company owners told him they would take pictures of every item, and hubby could go to a magistrate, and they would testify for him, etc.
Is this the correct way to handle this type of situation? From what I hear of magistrate issues, you win but collecting the money is almost worthless effort? Doesn't my husband have some recourse to get his money back?
One more question...my husband is scared that HE will get into trouble for buying the stuff, even though he didn't know it was stolen?
Thanks so much...love this board!
 


P

paul005

Guest
did hubby get a drivers license # , did hubby account for the money......either by a reciept or is it written in a ledger? did he pay by check?

then he is safe, and could sue the guy in small claims court for the money he is out f.

But if he tried to do this under the table, no recipets, and in cash, not on the daily reconsiliation with the money, then he could get in trouble for knowing it was stolen.
 
C

cadillac

Guest
He did not know it was stolen. In fact he asked the guy over & over again (the purchases occured over a period of 2 weeks), and the guy insisted it was not stolen.
Unfortunately, he paid by cash, no reciepts (stupid, I know), but he purchased the stuff from his own money, not the store (his brother actually owns the store, hubby runs it).
We went to the police today, and the officer said hubby should not have given the stuff back, he was intitled to get his money back but it should have gone through the police beforehand.
But they are checking into it.
Well, i sure hope hubby learned a big lesson...I wanna smack him upside the head..haha! I could have used that money for bills instead of him just giving it to a thief.
Thanks so much for your reply, and please if anyone wants to add anything, please post.
 
J

johnny2

Guest
yes hubby should not have given it back without getting paid for it.

Oh well.....hubby's not just bright enough to be a good criminal.....but thats real bad since stupid criminals get caught!!!!
 

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