Can someone solve this question about TVs for me?

[Doug]

Tex: It runs like this....

4k as legit verifiable scrap.

If I'm a bad scrap dealer that buys shit from Crackheads in Houston, I pay $1500 and have my boy Juan melting/ smelting that SHVT 2 minutes later !

Your 120k theft became $1500 in no time flat and was only 4k to start with ! That's reality. I'd get 4k instead of 1.5 k for it....if I could explain how I got the metal legitimately and show ID and so forth

Bunches of cemetary vases/ urns....whatever you desire to call them....scream "STOLEN" ! If I'm a plumbing contractor then some scrap pipe stuff is fine.

 

[Doug]

Some things are easily identifiable as stolen metals. Stuff from a cemetary like vases/urns qualifies for sure, or rolls of refrigeration copper, lengths of plumber's copper , rolls of virgin wire, etc.

It's not that difficult to determine what is legit scrap and who looks a Crackhead that stole the stuff !

 

[texansfan]

Seems like they got 4k as scrap not 120k ?

Values get inflated. A kilo of coke might be 20k as a kilo, but would be reported as some inflated gram price of like a 200k bust or some BS like that.

The scrap copper/ bronze whatever theft is really not a 120 k theft, more like a 4k theft. Do we count retail or wholesale/ scrap values here ?

I don't support thievery either way, but be realistic about it.

Actually the suspects were charged with 2nd degree felony theft, which means a theft between 100 and 200k. There were 6 suspects total who were charged with 2nd degree felony theft.

If they were only charged with stealing 4k worth of metal or whatever it would only be a state jail felony here in Texas.

You're looking at what they received for the metal which is incorrect.

 

[Doug]

I'd say most stolen stuff sells at a steep discount, though !

I guess cops go retail ?

What's a kilo of cocaine worth ? Is it 20 k or 100 K or more ?

If you steal a TV worth $900 at Walmart...that is easy to call $900....easily worth $400 fenced.

metal is different. I don't have a problem going retail value in the penalty phase of it.

Scrap value is often 5% or less on stuff often boosted.

 

[texansfan]

I'd say most stolen stuff sells at a steep discount, though !

I guess cops go retail ?

What's a kilo of cocaine worth ? Is it 20 k or 100 K or more ?

If you steal a TV worth $900 at Walmart...that is easy to call $900....easily worth $400 fenced.

metal is different. I don't have a problem going retail value in the penalty phase of it.

Scrap value is often 5% or less on stuff often boosted.

Well, it's obviously the DA's call, but yes, it's usually the retail cost without tax added in. Example, if some crack head steals a diamond ring valued at 7k and then sells it for $100 worth of crack he's going to get charged with the theft of 7k.

Scrap metal is so huge that we actually had to form a metal theft squad a few years back. The theft statutes for metal changed a couple of years back however. It doesn't matter if you steal .25 worth of copper, it's all a state jail felony now.

 

[Doug]

Actually the suspects were charged with 2nd degree felony theft, which means a theft between 100 and 200k. There were 6 suspects total who were charged with 2nd degree felony theft.

If they were only charged with stealing 4k worth of metal or whatever it would only be a state jail felony here in Texas.

You're looking at what they received for the metal which is incorrect.

I'd look to steal something else if I were to go that route. Bad Karma for one thing...and you get nailed for stealing 100k+ but only get a few k. Being a criminal is one thing, but do it with a better method ....esp. in Texas, Y'all might get hung for it down there !