You may buy an item from someone and later find out that it was stolen. Even if you believed the sale was legitimate, you could still face a charge of receiving stolen property.
In Kentucky, the charge depends in part on what you knew when you got or kept the item. Prosecutors generally have to show that you knew it was stolen or had reason to believe it was stolen.
What you knew when you got the item
Your knowledge forms an important part of the offense under Kentucky law. Prosecutors therefore look beyond the fact that the property turned out to be stolen. They also look at what you knew when you got or kept it.
The law gives added weight to possession of recently stolen property. Kentucky treats that possession as prima facie evidence that you knew someone had stolen it. In plain English, that fact can support the prosecution’s claim about your knowledge, but it does not settle the case by itself.
What your records can explain
Records from the sale can help explain why you believed the purchase was legitimate. A receipt may show that you paid a normal price through an ordinary sale. Messages with the seller can also reveal what the seller said about owning the item.
The details of the sale may work the other way. A very low price or a secretive handoff could raise questions about what you knew. Records from a routine purchase might support your account of how you got the property.
Keeping useful records
You may want to keep records tied to the purchase. Consider saving messages and noting what the seller told you while the details are still fresh. Keeping those records together can help you explain how you got the item and review your options if the charge moves forward.