Did I actually DO anything

[someguy123a]

Nevada (only U.S. law)?

Nevada, Las Vegas, Clark County (only U.S. law)?

Hello...
If someone can lend me their advice, I would appreciate it.

Here is what happened:

I repair computers on the side. I do so without a license, however this is not what this is about.
A few months ago I was introduced to someone through a friend. I fixed the friends computer and while I was dropping it off, this person (call her THEMLA) said \"I have a computer too, can you fix it?\" so I did, and that was that. Work completed, and nothing happened.

May 28th I received a voicemail from \'Thelma\' who I met while repairing the friends computer.
Her voicemail said that she and a friend bought two macbook pro computers from a pawn shop.
These computers have passwords and they could not log on. Could I bypass them?

I said I could and she agreed to pay me $60 for each computer, $120 total.
This is documented in text messages. The voicemail was backed up to my hard drive as an audio file.

After I repaired the computers, Thelma admitted that she actually got from from an uncle of hers that works by the convention center, she said that a business man sold them for quick cash as he was coming out of a convention and that he gets items this way every so often and she would ask him to look for a computer for me as well.

After dropping the computers off to Thelma she called me back and said that there were problems with one of them, and she would bring the computer back to me. She did so, and said she would pick it up in a few days.

Two days ago i got a call from a craigslist ad and someone said they had a mountain bike to trade for computer work. I told the person where I work and they met me.
They were detectives. They asked me about the computers and never arrested me however after I told them everything i knew they cuffed me as they said is procedural and took me back to my house to collect the one pc.
they then took the computer at my house and had me call Thelma to get her to not only come over to collect the macbook they had recovered, but said I had to get her to bring the other macbook i returned to her BACK to me and that they would be waiting for her when she got here.

they had me fill out a volountary statement and left.

So thats what I did. The next day at 7:3am she arrived and she had the macbook they were looking for.
They now have both computers. Thelma told them the same story at first that they got these from a pawnshop... that I overheard however i dont know what they told her other than that.

The detectives told me:
-the DA will decide if i am charged
-I co-operated a great deal
-they mentioned the day that they picked me up that they could charge me with posession of stolen property but were not because of my co-operation.

I looked up the NRS statute on larceny and it states that a person such as myself would have to be aware or have an idea that the goods were stolen in order to be able to prosecute... But i have a voicemail stating that she said these were from a pawnshop.

So where do I stand on this?
i am very worried here...

 

[justalayman]

. But i have a voicemail stating that she said these were from a pawnshop.

Ok, and after that, you were told this:

After I repaired the computers, Thelma admitted that she actually got from from an uncle of hers that works by the convention center, she said that a business man sold them for quick cash as he was coming out of a convention and that he gets items this way every so often and she would ask him to look for a computer for me as well.

and if that does't sound suspicious, I have some land in Florida we need to talk about you buying.


You need a lawyer and need to not say anything else.

So, how do you think they got your name/identity and already knew you had a stolen computer. Remember, you said they called you about swapping some computer work for a bike. You do realize they already knew you had the stolen computers, right? Either you did a really dumb thing and hooked them up to the internet or somebody that knows you and knows you had stolen computers turned you in.

 

[someguy123a]

Well to me it seems that if I was under the impression they were STOLEN then obviously I would have nothing to do with them.

She LIED to me and I completed the work.

\"I have these computers that we bought at a pawnshop and we cant get them to work\"

after the work is done

\"well they actually came from my uncle who bought them from some guy on a convention outside the convention center where uncle works to tear down/set up convention displays\"

yeah, they were plugged in and turned on while I thought i had two computers purchased by someone from a pawnshop

after that, the mark had been made. likely just called my ISP to find out the owner of the internet connection they were on and did what detectives do, just used craigslist to track my ip and find a post by me where I asked to legally swap work, in this case computer repair for a mountain bike (instead of cash for a mountain bike)

 

[swalsh411]

Nobody is giving away macbook pros at conventions. And pawnshops don't buy computers that are password protected and unusable.

Do not speak to the police anymore. This cannot be stressed enough. You will only get yourself in more trouble.

 

[justalayman]

after the work is done

\"well they actually came from my uncle who bought them from some guy on a convention outside the convention center where uncle works to tear down/set up convention displays\"

did you forget the fact that she brought one of them back for you to work on after you were aware of the convention situation? In fact, you had it at your house, right? Sure hard to make that argument now, isn't it?

yeah, they were plugged in and turned on while I thought i had two computers purchased by someone from a pawnshop

after that, the mark had been made. likely just called my ISP to find out the owner of the internet connection they were on and did what detectives do, just used craigslist to track my ip and find a post by me where I asked to legally swap work, in this case computer repair for a mountain bike (instead of cash for a mountain bike)

why does it sound like you are making excuses and trying to find a plausible argument?

 

[someguy123a]

dunno, thought i was supposed to cooperate with law enforcement.
this is why i helped them set her up and get the other computer back.

i mean... im trying not to say where i live, i am posting this through a proxy etc however it is not unusual for someone where i live to simply sell a computer on the street for cash.

i never said anyone gave them away at a convention, i said that she mentioned they were sold for cash by a conventioneer. does it even matter? the damn thing was lowjack enabled and sang to the cops the minute it got online when i still thought they were a pawn shop deal. am i supposed to ask for a damned reciept from a pawnshop?

trust me. its a big convention town with lots of reasons to sell stuff for cash.

but all i did was help the cops. help them set her up in a sting. help them by telling them all she told me about this guy, where he lives etc...
i guess they would have arrested me or told me not to take my trip to the philippines in a month (which i told them about about four times or so)

 

[swalsh411]

dunno, thought i was supposed to cooperate with law enforcement.

A lot of people sitting in prison right now thought the same thing.

but all i did was help the cops.

Hopefully, for your sake, that's all you did. But you may have broken the law and you may have further implicated yourself by cooperating.

i guess they would have arrested me or told me not to take my trip to the philippines in a month (which i told them about about four times or so)

Not necessarily. Stop trying to think you know what the police know, or how they will proceed with the investigation, or what if any their final plans for dealing with you are. They are professionals at this and expert liars when it's suits their purpose.

From this point forward, if you're smart, you will not speak to the police. If they say they want to talk to you, tell them politely but firmly that you're not going to answer any more questions. You have absolutely nothing to gain by helping them and everything to lose.

 

[someguy123a]

A lot of people sitting in prison right now thought the same thing.



Hopefully, for your sake, that\'s all you did. But you may have broken the law and you may have further implicated yourself by cooperating.



Not necessarily. Stop trying to think you know what the police know, or how they will proceed with the investigation, or what if any their final plans for dealing with you are. They are professionals at this and expert liars when it\'s suits their purpose.

From this point forward, if you\'re smart, you will not speak to the police. If they say they want to talk to you, tell them politely but firmly that you\'re not going to answer any more questions. You have absolutely nothing to gain by helping them and everything to lose.

i can respect your point of view.
the NRS statute on larceny states that the only point where I could be considered wrong is here:

RS 205.0832 Actions which constitute theft.

1. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 2, a person commits theft if, without lawful authority, he knowingly:

(d) Comes into control of lost, mislaid or misdelivered property of another person under circumstances providing means of inquiry as to the true owner and appropriates that property to his own use or that of another person without reasonable efforts to notify the true owner.

however for this to be proven the DA needs proof that i knew it was stolen or something seemed \'not right\' however it is not unusual for things to be sold from a pawnshop or on the street etc.

 

[justalayman]

however for this to be proven the DA needs proof that i knew it was stolen or something seemed \'not right\' however it is not unusual for things to be sold from a pawnshop or on the street etc.

these (above) are not the words of an innocent person. You are making excuses again. You are trying to find a defense rather than standing by a claim of innocence.