A person buys a watch at an unusually low price, suspecting it may be stolen. What crime is the buyer most likely guilty of?

• A. Receiving Stolen Property (Felony)
• B. No crime
• C. Possession of Stolen Property
• D. Fraud

Answer: (A)

Receiving stolen property is when someone knowingly takes possession of goods that were obtained through theft, or accepts them from others with knowledge or a reasonable belief they’re stolen. In this scenario, paying an unusually low price for a watch and suspecting it may be stolen shows you’re aware there’s illegitimacy about the item. That knowledge or strong suspicion makes your act of taking possession of the watch itself criminal, so this fits as receiving stolen property, which is typically charged as a felony.

Posession of stolen property could apply in some cases, but it hinges on the belief about the stolen nature of the goods you currently hold; the purchase from a seller rather than direct accession to the theft situation makes receiving stolen property the more precise charge here. Fraud would require deception to obtain the item, which isn’t indicated by simply buying a suspicious item. No crime isn’t appropriate given the evident awareness of illegitimacy.