A person commits the criminal offense of receiving stolen property if the person buys or receives any property knowing that it has been stolen. Laws regarding receiving stolen property vary from state to state and some states also make it a crime to receive property obtained by extortion, or to conceal, sell, withhold, or aid in concealing, selling, or withholding any property from the owner, knowing the property was stolen or obtained by extortion, for example.

The criminal offense of receiving stolen property may be charged as a misdemeanor or as a felony in many states (a wobbler offense)—usually depending on the value of the stolen property.

Laws regarding receiving stolen property are generally located in a state’s statutes—often in the penal or criminal code.

In Arkansas, the offense of receiving stolen property is codified under Arkansas Code Annotated § 5-36-106. A person commits this crime if they knowingly take or receive stolen property, or exert unauthorized control over it, with the purpose of depriving the owner of the property. The seriousness of the charge, whether it is a misdemeanor or a felony, typically depends on the value of the property received. For property valued at $1,000 or less, the offense is classified as a Class A misdemeanor. If the value exceeds $1,000, the offense is considered a felony, with the degree of the felony increasing with the value of the property. Arkansas law also addresses the receipt of property obtained by extortion. The state's statutes provide clear guidelines on the penalties and categorizations of this offense, which can be found in the penal or criminal code sections of the Arkansas statutes.