How long before something illegal is not reported and cannot be reported?

Question

i live in canada and i bought some stolen goods and a friend of mine knows about it and now has turned agiasnt me and says he is going to tell the police. he has known aobut it for goign on 4 years now and has said ntohin, so can the police even do anythign now?

Answer 1

THEY COULD ALWAYS CHARGE FOR SOMETHING ILLIGAL BUT YOU JUST CAN SAY THAT YOU DIDN'T KNOW THEY WERE STOLEN  

Answer 2

Obvious question:  Do you still have the stolen goods?

In Canada, there are two kinds of criminal offences:  Indictable, and summary.  (Actually, most offences are called 'crown election', and can be treated as either.)  Summary conviction offences have a limitations period of 6 months.  Indictable offences have no limitations period.  Possession of stolen property under $5000 is crown election.  The quirk of that is that it wouldn't be possible to proceed against you summarily, but the Crown is free to proceed by indictment if it so chooses.  Possession over $5000 is straight indictable.

Whether or not it would choose to do so, if your 'friend' reported you, would depend on a number of things.  Value of the property, whether or not you still have it, and very importantly the quality of the evidence implicating you.  Passage of time can make it very difficult to make out a case.  It's pretty unlikely that they'd charge you just based on the word of your 'friend', and it can be difficult to get corroboration after so much time has passed.

ETA:  Ah, video might make it a problem then.  Then again, videos alone, or solely supported by the word of somebody who was clearly related to the transaction in some way, and who subsequently sat on it for four years, may not be enough to convince a Crown to lay a four-year stale charge for a trivial offence.  Or to convince a judge or jury to convict.  Hard to say, really, depending on what the video shows.

And to clarify:  While it's true that in other jurisdictions (i.e. the U.S.) most offences have limitations periods, that is simply not true in Canada, and those who are saying otherwise are not familiar with the specifics of Canadian law.  Only the most trivial of offences (straight summary conviction offences, as well as Provincial offences) have limitations periods.

Answer 3

don't worry about you're cry baby friend they are just playing tattle tell he's not going to say anything and if he opens his mouth just say you never knew it was stolen and maybe he'll get in trouble for knowing it was stolen.just don't worry he's just being a bi*ch.also it's to late for the cops to look into it.

Answer 4

my suggestion is that you no longer purchase stolen property,especially on camera that was just dumb!

there are statute of limitations for everything in the law, that is what sets how long a time frame can b e passed before prosecution can longer be had.  look up your Statute of limitations for recieving stolen goods in your area

Answer 5

something illegal can always be reported, but most crimes, except murder, have a statute of limitations.

so there is probably some length of time after which your friend could report a theft, but the police would not pursue the issue, unless there was something to indicate that there was an ongoing crime.

Answer 6

consult an attorney