Punishment for receiving stolen property

Answer 1

The specific punishment depends on the laws of the state where it occurred. Generally speaking, though, simple theft is most often some level of misdemeanor, meaning that it cannot be punished by more than a year in jail. Exactly how long the maximum sentence would be depends, again, on that state's laws.

However, in all states the specific length of maximum sentence will increase based on the value of the property stolen. For example, everything else being equal, theft of $500.00 worth of property would have a longer maximum sentence than theft of $5.00 worth of property. The specific dollar values at which the lengths of maximum sentence change are not the same in all states.

Furthermore, while all states have a dollar value at which even simple theft becomes a felony, punishible by over a year in prison, even that dollar value will not always be identical between different states. And, like misdemeanor theft, the property values at which the specific maximum sentence for a felony theft can increase vary from state to state.

Whether the value of the property stolen makes it a misdemeanor or a felony, the exact maximum sentence for a simple theft will always depend on the laws of the state where it happened.

Answer 2

Varies in different states, but usually depends upon the dollar amount and the type of the stolen property.