Possession of stolen property requires an awareness that the property was stolen, which makes the possessor an accessory to the crime
Possession of Stolen Goods
The possession of goods known to have been stolen can be charged as a felony. The critical distinction is whether or not the possessor of the stolen property knew it was stolen when he took possession and therefore was an accessory to the crime.
Knowing that the property is not yours at the time of taking possession of it is not uncommon and can occur without criminal intent. For example, when a bank mistakenly deposits a substantial amount of money into your account, and you are sure it does not belong to you. If you do not alert the bank to the error, you may later be charged with a felony.
Possession of Stolen Money
Even if the money was not stolen and you had zero to do with the bank mistake. Should you decide to keep it or spend the money, you can still be charged as an unwitting accessory after the fact.
If you have a clean record, the prosecutor may charge the crime as a misdemeanor and agree to a final disposition of diversion, so long as you make financial restitution with the bank.
