Question:
Friend may have pawned my jewelry?
anonymous
2011-12-17 09:18:54 UTC
I have a 'friend' who I believe has been stealing from my house. It started with small things and now some expensive jewelry is missing. I have reason to believe she has pawned the jewelry.

I'm going to make a police report. The first things went missing in February this year and the last things just two weeks ago. I'm not sure of the exact dates. Does it matter that I haven't reported it until now?

If she has pawned the jewelry I don't know where she has pawned it and have no way of finding out. Are the police have a way of finding out if an individual has pawned anything? Sounds silly but I'm imagining a list of all the people who have pawned items is available and they could check for her name. Silly I know but you get the idea.

Do I have to prove that she took the items? Two weeks ago she was the only person in my house who had means and opportunity. They were here when she arrived and gone when she left. Is that enough evidence?

I have found out that she is on probation for a prior theft. She stole the fund raising money from her sons team. Does this mean the police will take it more seriously?

If, by some great fortune, she admitted it so that I could get the jewelry back could I drop the charges?

I don't mean to sound rude or ungrateful but I'm not seeking advice on what to do with the friendship or comments on the stupidity or sensibility of my allowing it to go this far. I've made mistakes but the loss of a family heirloom has now woken me up.

Thank you in advance.
Seven answers:
Sippa
2011-12-17 12:04:25 UTC
I'm a property crimes detective and deal with this alot, so here it goes, but my answers are based on California Law:



You can always file a police report and they will investigate it as best as they can. The only thing that matters after all this time is whether or not the stolen items can actually be located.



There are databases that some pawn shops and agencies share that keep records of pawn sales. Not all agencies or shops participate, though. It usually depends on whether or not there is an ordinance that requires it if a pawn shop wants to conduct business within a certain jurisdiction.



California law requires that pawn shops keep transaction records. Most require only a name, thumbprint, and description of jewelry, but how accurate the description is depends on the shop. Some will copy the driver license, some will photograph the jewelry, but many simply offer only a vague description, which makes it nearly impossible. If you have a picture of the item, then by all means, provide it to the Police.



But, the Police will have a better chance tracking a name rather than the item itself. Providing the name of your friend will give the Police a good lead. They can call pawn shops and ask if a certain person has sold anything there and by law, they have to be truthful. Unfortunately, some aren't, though. If she is on probation (with a search clause), the Police can search her residence, vehicle, etc, to see if she still has it in her possession.



In California, a pawn shop is required to hold the item sold for 30 days before selling it. If it has been only two weeks, there is a good chance that it is still sitting in the safe at the pawn shop. Gold sales are way up because of the value of gold now, but there are many mail-in businesses that don't ask any questions.



In California, if your item is found at a pawn shop, then the Police can put a hold on it, but they cannot return it to you right away. Although the item belongs to you and the shop now cannot sell it legally, there are civil laws that protect the pawn shop because they have a financial interest in the disposition of the ring, unless there is evidence that shows that the pawn shop knew the item was stolen at the time of purchase. If a suspect is convicted, then the court can order the suspect to reimburse the shop and order the items returned to the owner. Or, the pawn shop can agree to return it to you and only seek resistution from the suspect.



So, let's say the Police find your jewelry at a pawn shop and there is evidence that your friend is the one that sold it, as a detective, this is what I would be asking the District Attorney to consider:



1) Theft (of the jewelry from your home. The severity, i.e. felony or misdemeanor, would depend on the value of it).

2) Possession of stolen property (because your friend clearly was in possession of your stolen item at the pawn shop)

3) Theft (at the pawn shop, because your friend received money based on the sale of stolen property. It is a fraudulent transaction. The severity would depend on how much she received for the item).

3) Burglary (at the pawn shop, because your friend went into the shop with the intent to commit a theft).



You could certainly request that the Police "drop charges," but your involvement basically ends at your front door. It may not protect your friend from what she did at the pawn shop.



Good luck to you. I hope you get your things back!
Cheryl
2016-02-28 05:45:44 UTC
What the other pawn shops did has no bearing on his issue. He was arrested for receiving stolen property, something he could have avoided by verifying ownership of the pawned item. His employer is not the one who made the mistake, and his employer is not the one who committed the crime. It was his job to make sure he acted lawfully, and he did not. The fact that the charges were dropped later is just a lucky thing for him. I'll bet he verifies ownership every time in the future before taking any pawned items in. - Stuart
lestermount
2011-12-17 10:15:48 UTC
File a police report, the police visit pawn shops looking for stolen property often. The pawn shops can not sell new items for a couple of weeks.

You only have to prove you owned the items the pawn shop keeps records on who pawned or sold the items.
?
2016-04-27 23:19:10 UTC
If you are doing any of these things, you have to stop right now. Because if you're asking, "What can I do to get my ex back," all of the above mistakes will not do it, so stop doing these things immediately!



So then, what should I be doing to get my ex boyfriend back, you ask? Here are some helpful tips for you to follow that actually work https://tr.im/uE3vQ



You have to stop whatever you've been doing. It obviously didn't work, and if you were making the mistakes I mentioned above, then you really need to stop and take a step back. It's time for a fresh approach. You have to break complete contact with him, at least for a while. If you really like him, I know this is going to be difficult, but you have to do it. You can't communicate with him in any way. So, no texting, no IM'ing, no anything. You have to go "cold turkey" in a sense. You can consider this "you time" where you work on yourself. You have to work on improving your life instead of focusing your attention on your failed relationship. This will be probably be a difficult time for you, and it's going to feel almost impossible to not call him, but you'll need to stay disciplined so that you don't revert back to your old ways. Just remember that what you were doing wasn't working. You're trying something new.
Vinegar Taster
2011-12-17 09:54:34 UTC
Go to a pawn shop and check to see if she's been there. A legit shop asks for photo ID and a thumb print.
anonymous
2011-12-17 10:03:01 UTC
Well that person isnt you friend no friend steals of you she Is using you for your jewlerry but not to worry tell them if they don't hand it back you will get the police involved
anthonyt
2017-02-20 09:12:53 UTC
1


This content was originally posted on Y! Answers, a Q&A website that shut down in 2021.
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