Q: What to do if you are incarcerated for stealing a street bike you did not steal however you were pulled over riding on?
My boyfriend was asked to ride a street bike with his friend to his house. During the short ride my boyfriend was pulled over and given tickets for it being unregistered etc. it was not reported stolen and he did not know it indeed was stolen. Later on he gained knowledge the friend had stolen two street bikes and now my boyfriend is incarcerated. Wheeler is being accused of burglary, receiving stolen property, and another similar charge. He really was just a pawn in his friends crime and we don’t know what to do.
A: You do the same thing anyone who is charged with a crime does, hire a good lawyer to try to prove your innocent of the crime.
A: From your post, it’s unclear whether this took place in New Jersey or Maryland, but regardless of where, it’s important that your boyfriend has qualified legal counsel. In NJ, a critical element of the crime of Receiving Stolen Property [meaning something that the State needs to prove beyond a reasonable doubt] is whether the accused had reason to know that the property was stolen. An experienced criminal defense lawyer will be able not only to explain the possible resolutions to the matter while simultaneously working to persuade the State of his innocence. The best advice is to immediately seek an attorney who is particularly versed in this area of law. Good luck!
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