dixiedigger57
Elite Member
the law
Georgia Criminal code states:
16-8-6 : a person committs the offense of theft of lost or misplaced property when he comes into control of property that he knows or learns to have been lost or mislaid and appropriates the property to his own use without first taking reasonable measures to restore the property to the owner.
over $500 value its a felony. Theft by Receiving is a rewrite of possession of stolen goods.
it is easy to charge someone with this, although it might not be prosecuted.
example : you find a class ring--a year later you sell your scrap. our jurisdiction requires the buyer to turn in a description card on all items, pawn, jeweler, scrap yard etc... The ring had been stolen and tossed or dropped. by someone. you found it. you are in possession of either stolen goods or lost or misplaced property. you get arrested. maybe the case goes away. maybe you did or did not try to find the owner. you did not turn it in to the police as lost or misplaced, run an add or put up a notice. descretion lies with the officer and prosecutor. and jury and judge.
example: you find a ring on the beach. you sell your scrap, the card is turned in and a report is filed on lost property at the beach, or possibly theft, they laid it by the towel or it fell out of their shoes..whatever... maybe insurance claim. an arrest may happen.
anyway its gonna cost you--money, embarrassment, humiliation, make people look at you with suspicion.
you return a ring and are accused of stealing it and maybe cursed out.
or as i did, return a ring lost over 50 years to an 86 year old lady and watch the tears of joy, then get told the person who introed you to the hobby was her relative. story another time.
i return when i can if a name. with search programs that i have access to for criminal cases, you can find people. all they have to do is pay a bill, get mail, have a phone, utility, job basically exist, even a street bum that gets arrested. it can be returned--dont kid yourself. the net provides a lot of info period.
The deep sea explorer Odysssey found the 500,000 silver coins, and were forced to give every single one back to Spain. Spain paid NADA! Odyssey lost millions. Court in USA ruled against Odyssey and a military plane flew it away. now they say we know where its at, we will get it for a fee/split ya want it? or go get/find it yourself. Britain just signed several contracts.
just cause we find it, it's not ours. a local park stopped hunting because of that. some archeologists would rather something be lost forever than someone else find it. govt same way.
some people crush and obliterate. if it is a serial number--some diamonds have a laser etched number visible with a loop on the edge of a facet (Sears rings had) that is traceable. if removed and proved--possossion of an article with an altered identification number.
i doubt many cases are actually made, but they could be, and seen some.
REAL Rolex watches are numbered, as well as others, and registered. call the factory.
the old police saying "You might beat the rap but you wont beat the ride" (a trip to jail and court). seen that ride happen a lot knowing the case was going to be tossed.
well so much for the soap box. thirty plus years dealing with the law for a living i know a little, not all.
i keep my unmarked pieces and look for notices or adds. and have returned some then too, finding the owner. after a while i scrap. but it is actually a risk. slight but a risk.
the choice is yours so are the consequences sometimes too. hh
the reward is a clean conscience.
honesty is the best policy
Georgia Criminal code states:
16-8-6 : a person committs the offense of theft of lost or misplaced property when he comes into control of property that he knows or learns to have been lost or mislaid and appropriates the property to his own use without first taking reasonable measures to restore the property to the owner.
over $500 value its a felony. Theft by Receiving is a rewrite of possession of stolen goods.
it is easy to charge someone with this, although it might not be prosecuted.
example : you find a class ring--a year later you sell your scrap. our jurisdiction requires the buyer to turn in a description card on all items, pawn, jeweler, scrap yard etc... The ring had been stolen and tossed or dropped. by someone. you found it. you are in possession of either stolen goods or lost or misplaced property. you get arrested. maybe the case goes away. maybe you did or did not try to find the owner. you did not turn it in to the police as lost or misplaced, run an add or put up a notice. descretion lies with the officer and prosecutor. and jury and judge.
example: you find a ring on the beach. you sell your scrap, the card is turned in and a report is filed on lost property at the beach, or possibly theft, they laid it by the towel or it fell out of their shoes..whatever... maybe insurance claim. an arrest may happen.
anyway its gonna cost you--money, embarrassment, humiliation, make people look at you with suspicion.
you return a ring and are accused of stealing it and maybe cursed out.
or as i did, return a ring lost over 50 years to an 86 year old lady and watch the tears of joy, then get told the person who introed you to the hobby was her relative. story another time.
i return when i can if a name. with search programs that i have access to for criminal cases, you can find people. all they have to do is pay a bill, get mail, have a phone, utility, job basically exist, even a street bum that gets arrested. it can be returned--dont kid yourself. the net provides a lot of info period.
The deep sea explorer Odysssey found the 500,000 silver coins, and were forced to give every single one back to Spain. Spain paid NADA! Odyssey lost millions. Court in USA ruled against Odyssey and a military plane flew it away. now they say we know where its at, we will get it for a fee/split ya want it? or go get/find it yourself. Britain just signed several contracts.
just cause we find it, it's not ours. a local park stopped hunting because of that. some archeologists would rather something be lost forever than someone else find it. govt same way.
some people crush and obliterate. if it is a serial number--some diamonds have a laser etched number visible with a loop on the edge of a facet (Sears rings had) that is traceable. if removed and proved--possossion of an article with an altered identification number.
i doubt many cases are actually made, but they could be, and seen some.
REAL Rolex watches are numbered, as well as others, and registered. call the factory.
the old police saying "You might beat the rap but you wont beat the ride" (a trip to jail and court). seen that ride happen a lot knowing the case was going to be tossed.
well so much for the soap box. thirty plus years dealing with the law for a living i know a little, not all.
i keep my unmarked pieces and look for notices or adds. and have returned some then too, finding the owner. after a while i scrap. but it is actually a risk. slight but a risk.
the choice is yours so are the consequences sometimes too. hh
the reward is a clean conscience.
honesty is the best policy
