What is dealing in stolen property?

Dealing in stolen property covers trafficking in, or endeavoring to traffic in, property that the person knew or should have known was stolen. It's a second-degree felony — more serious than most theft charges, including the theft that produced the property.

That inversion catches people. Someone who sold an item at a pawn shop can face greater exposure than the person who stole it.

The mental state is where these cases are fought. "Knew or should have known" is broader than actual knowledge, and the State builds it circumstantially — the price paid relative to value, the circumstances of the transaction, whether identifying marks were removed, and the person's dealings generally.

Pawn shop transactions generate a documentary record — identification, thumbprints, item descriptions — which is how many of these cases begin.

There's a related provision addressing the initiation or organization of theft for resale, which is more serious still.