Possible stolen property

[spoonces]

What is the name of your state? Florida

I recently tried to sell an item on EBay that has since been suggested on a web forum may have been stolen. I immediately pulled the item off of EBay but I have no idea if this is stolen or not. I guess it could have been, the person I received it from I have no way of contacting or verifying. I have had the item since around 2000, is there any thing I should do to verify or clear this? I don't want to go to jail for trying to sell stolen merchandise, nor was that my intention.

 

[outonbail]

Why did someone suggest the item may be stolen? Is it something rare? Does it have a serial number or some sort of registration number which has been removed or appears altered?

Does it sound about par for the person you received it from, to be handing you stolen property?
I would have to know what the item is in order to suggest how to go about finding out if it is stolen or not. Something like a gun would be as simple as contacting the local police department and have them run the serial number. However, I wouldn’t advise getting the police involved at this point. No use opening a can of worms if there’s no need to.

If it were art, or some sort of museum piece then it will take a little more research to discover if the item has a providence.

So, I'm at the edge of my seat here,,, what is it?

 

[spoonces]

A prop

It seems a little silly but its actually a scenic prop from a theme park attraction that was demolished around 1999 or 2000. It was given to me as a birthday gift many years ago and I had never had reason to believe it could have been stolen off of the demolition site but that is what the rumors are saying. I honestly don't even remember which colleague got it for me. The posts say that the owners of the park have been contacted and they will investigate. I am not so much worried about the items authenticity as I am about going to jail and leaving 2 young buys behind. I never meant to sell stolen merchandise and now I'm numb with worry about what to do.

 

[outonbail]

It seems a little silly but its actually a scenic prop from a theme park attraction that was demolished around 1999 or 2000. It was given to me as a birthday gift many years ago and I had never had reason to believe it could have been stolen off of the demolition site but that is what the rumors are saying. I honestly don't even remember which colleague got it for me. The posts say that the owners of the park have been contacted and they will investigate. I am not so much worried about the items authenticity as I am about going to jail and leaving 2 young buys behind. I never meant to sell stolen merchandise and now I'm numb with worry about what to do.

Me personally, I'd contact these owners myself and ask them if there is any truth to this rumor and explain how you came to be in possession of the item. If they are reasonable and are still wanting this item, they should thank you for returning it to them.

Of course, if someone was beaten when the item was forcibly taken from them during a robbery, it could result in a response from the owners, that is anything but thankful.

As far as going to jail, unless you have prior theft convictions or theft related charges, or are on probation or parole, I wouldn't think you are headed to jail.
If your actions are as innocent as your suggesting they are, you shouldn't have anything to worry about. Most laws are written to the effect of a person "Knowingly" committing a crime, or if a reasonable person should have known they were receiving stolen property and what your intent was. So only you know where you stand in that regard.

It does seem a little suspect that you would remember receiving this item as a birthday present as well as the year you received it, but your memory fades when it comes to who it was that gave it to you.

It sounds like a case of selective memory used out of convenience,,, but that's just my personal opinion.

 

[spoonces]

Thank you

Thank you for your advice, actually the only reason I remember the year so well is because it was the only year that I worked with this particular group of people, it seemed an innocent token at the time and I still tend to believe it is. I don't have so much as a parking ticket to my name so I am a bit naieve here, I will try to contact the claimed owners and see if there is anyone to talk to. Thanks again.