A charge of false declaration of ownership in Oklahoma City typically arises from deals in pawn shops. You may have received something as a gift from someone, and you are unaware it was stolen. However, if you take such an item to a pawn shop, you could get in trouble for declaring it as yours.
In other instances, you may be lying deliberately about the ownership of an item or there could be some mistake. It is best always to tell the truth in a pawn shop to avoid the legal problems that arise when you are caught lying.
What is False Declaration of Ownership in Oklahoma City?
Pawn shops exist so that people urgently in need of some cash can get money by trading some of their items. In Oklahoma City, pawn shops are legal but operate under some strict rules. You complete the transaction either as a sale or the pawn shop dealer holds the item as collateral for a specified time until you return the borrowed cash.
For a pawn shop dealer to transact with you, you must provide a written declaration of ownership of the item you want to pawn. This declaration must include information identifying the person pawning the item. He or she must also state how long they have owned the item. A pawn shop dealer cannot deal with you legally if you do not sign a declaration of ownership document. Okla. Stat. tit. 59 § 1515
If a person goes to a pawn shop and declares to own an item that does not belong to them, they can be tried for false declaration of ownership. Such a false statement is considered the same as a type of theft by false pretenses.
Under the law, a false declaration of ownership will be treated as a kind of theft, even if it was done by mistake.
Additional Charges
A person may present false identifying information to a pawn shop dealer to be able to complete the transaction with him or her. To submit false identification to further the commission of a felony in a financial or commercial transaction is a serious crime in Oklahoma City. Okla. Stat. tit. 21 § 1550.41
If you happen to be caught having presented false identifying information in a pawn shop when wanting to pawn or sell a stolen item, you could face felony charges for two crimes.
Penalties
If a person is convicted for false declaration of ownership or for using an altered or false identification in a pawn shop, they could be found guilty of a misdemeanor in Oklahoma City if the value of the property is less than $1,000. They could face imprisonment in a county jail for a period not exceeding one year, a fine of up to $500, or both.
If the goods pawned with false identification or false declaration of ownership were worth between $1,000 and $2,500, the person could face felony charges. Punishment on conviction may be a prison term of up two years or at the county jail for not more than one year. A person convicted of this crime could also face fines of not more than $500.
If the pawned property is worth more than $15,000, a person who gets convicted can face prison time of up to eight years, a fine of up to $500, or both. Okla. Stat. tit. 59 § 1512
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