criminal-law theft
For what crime can you get jailed if a criminal leases you a stolen art piece?
<p>What crime can you get jailed for if a criminal leases you a stolen art piece? Let's say you loan an art piece for 1 day, and then you call the authorities because you know it was stolen, can you still get criminally prosecuted for it and for what crime?</p>

<p><a href="/questions/tagged/england-and-wales" class="post-tag" title="show questions tagged &#39;england-and-wales&#39;" rel="tag">england-and-wales</a></p>
<p>Although there's the potential for <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2002/29/part/7?timeline=false" rel="noreferrer">money laundering</a> the more obvious offence is <strong>Handling Stolen Goods</strong> contrary to <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1968/60/section/22?timeline=false" rel="noreferrer">s.22 of the Theft Act 1968</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>(1) A person handles stolen goods if (otherwise than in the course of the stealing) <strong>knowing or believing them to be stolen goods he dishonestly receives the goods</strong>, or dishonestly undertakes or assists in their retention, removal, disposal or realisation by or for the benefit of another person, or if he arranges to do so.</p>
<p>(2) A person guilty of handling stolen goods shall on conviction on indictment be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding fourteen years.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Note that any criminal liability will depend on one's <em>mens rea</em> (i. e. their guilty knowledge) when obtaining the stolen item.</p>
<p>That said -  the authorities, after considering all the evidence and circumstances, may prefer to use the recipient as a witness against the person from whom they received the artwork instead of prosecuting them.</p>
