Hi. My mother in law asked my wife to pawn a couple rings for her. Cause she is on vacation and dont have i.d.. now they are arguing and mot...

Question

Hi. My mother in law asked my wife to pawn a couple rings for her. Cause she is on vacation and dont have i.d.. now they are arguing and mother in law is threatening to call the law and say my wife stole them and pawned them. Can my wife be arrested

Answer

Yes, absolutely she can be arrested. Selling stolen jewelry to a pawn is illegal and constitutes at least 2 different crimes. The first is dealing in stolen property, a 2nd degree felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison, and false verification of ownership to a pawnbroker, a 3rd degree felony punishable by up to 5 years in prison. Of course, there could also be a theft charge or others depending on the allegations.

If your mother in law gave your wife the rings then that is a defense, but it will essentially come down to who the jury believes. If your mother in law is threatening to tell the police that your wife stole them then there is a good chance she will at least be arrested.