Dealing in Stolen Property – Fort Lauderdale Defense Attorney 

Have you recently been accused of dealing in stolen property? This can become a confusing and frustrating time for anyone, but you do have the opportunity to hire an experienced criminal defense lawyer in Fort Lauderdale to help you.

What to Do After Being Accused

When you have been accused of dealing in stolen property, the consequences are serious and how you choose to react in hiring an experienced criminal defense attorney in Fort Lauderdale can have a major impact on the outcome of your case. Under the laws in Florida, it is a criminal offense for any individual to endeavor to trafficking property or to trafficking property that he or she has reasonable suspicion was stolen. This is a second-degree felony that can come with penalties of up to 15 years in prison.

Reasonable Belief The Property Is Stolen

This occurs when any person transfers, disposes of, distributes or sells a stolen property having reason to believe that this property was stolen. In order to prove the crime of dealing in stolen property in Florida, the prosecution is responsible for establishing two elements beyond a reason of doubt. First of all, they must be able to establish the defendant endeavored to traffic or trafficked in the alleged property and that the defendant should have known or knew that the property was indeed stolen. The term property refers to anything of value such as tangible and intangible personal property, privileges, claims, rights, interests, services and real property. The terms trafficking refers to dispensing, disposing of, transferring, distributing or selling that property.

Dealing In Stolen Property? Buyers Beware

It can also refer to buying, possessing, receiving, selling, transferring or using that property with the intent to sell. Dealing in stolen property is a serious crime in Florida carrying up to 30 years’ imprisonment when classified as a first-degree felony. For second-degree felony charges, you may be looking at 15 years of probation or 15 years in prison and up to $10,000 in fines. There are many different defenses to dealing in stolen property and this is why having an attorney who has handled this kind of charge before is imperative. The right lawyer can evaluate your case and determine the potential opportunities for developing a defense strategy.

Some of these may include mistaken identity, lack of evidence that the property was stolen, the property not being stolen or a satisfactory explanation regarding the defendant’s knowledge. Consulting with an attorney in Fort Lauderdale as soon as possible after you have been accused is imperative if you find yourself in this situation.