Fence (criminal)

In law enforcement, a fence is an individual who knowingly buys stolen property, for later resale in a legitimate market (sometimes) at a higher price (always). As a verb, the word describes the behavior of the thief in the transaction: The burglar fenced the stereo.

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The fence is able to make a significant profit because he is able to pay thieves a very low price for stolen goods; thieves agree to this because their alternatives (such as directly soliciting passersby on a crowded street, or selling the goods on eBay or at a flea market) may present a greater risk of the thief being caught, and will take more time. The fence then disguises the stolen nature of the goods, if possible, and is then able to sell them at or near the usual wholesale price.

Related Topics:
EBay - Flea market

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Depending on the stolen item, the fence may attempt to remove, deface, or replace serial numbers on the stolen item before reselling it.

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Fencing is illegal everywhere, usually under a similar rationale as in the United States, where receipt of stolen property is a federal crime. Occasionally police will temporarily set up a fencing operation in order to let the word spread that a good fence is available in the area, and then trap a number of thieves.

Related Topics:
Receipt of stolen property - Federal crime

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Pawnbrokers have often been associated with fencing, though in many jurisdictions, government ID must be shown in order to pawn an item. In any event, pawnbrokers vigorously resist this characterization.

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Money laundering could be described as the fencing of currency.

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An eBay spokesman has claimed, "Perhaps the dumbest place to try to fence stolen materials is on eBay," and news agencies have reported incidents of the police anonymously purchasing stolen property directly from thieves, leading immediately to their capture. However, one California prosecutor differs with this, saying, "There's no need for the pawnbroker. Internet auctions have suddenly become a really easy way to fence stuff." http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/3443962.htm

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