Legal Question in Business Law in Virginia

Stolen Merchandise

A customer trades in 4 trading cards worth about $1500. They were all traded in seperately at the following values over the course of a 6 month period.

$300

$300

$300

$500

I've sold 2 or 3 of the cards months ago. I have multiple copies of these cards so I can't prove that the ones he traded in were the ones I sold but I know the condition on them was better than the ones I still have.

The cards aren't certified or serialized so there isn't really a way to track them. The only record of them being traded in from this kid is that I remember him doing it.

Can the parents make me pay for the cards or hold me responsible for taking them in trade. I know if I still had them I'd have to return them if they were proven stolen. But how do they prove them stolen?

I didn't know they were stolen. In fact one of the parents picked him up on a day he traded one in. And his older brother was with him most of the time too. The cards are only worth a lot now. At the time the parents would have purchased them they weren't worth much so I am wondering if they are only pissed now that they found out how much the cards were worth.

Am I likely to be found guilty of anything?


Asked on 4/23/07, 12:25 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Ruth Emily Kochard Ruth Emily Kochard, Counselor at Law

Re: Stolen Merchandise

With respect to criminal liability--and not civil--you would not be guilty of larceny by virtue of buying/selling stolen property unless you were aware that the property was stolen.

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Answered on 4/23/07, 2:16 pm


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