Nineteen-year-old Courtney Leigh Ames, an alleged member of the 'bling ring' in Los Angeles went to court last December, as she was accused of burglarizing Paris Hilton's home. However, the teenager is now being charged with more counts after allegedly appearing in court wearing a stolen necklace belonging to Lindsay Lohan.
Last week, Ames was charged with two counts of receiving stolen property. In addition to allegedly wearing Lohan's necklace to a December court hearing, prosecutors also allege that Ames received a leather jacket that belonged to Hilton.
Ames' Los Angeles criminal defense attorney, Robert Schwartz, acknowledged that Ames was wearing a necklace at the court hearing, according to Los Angeles Daily News. However, the attorney questions whether his client new that the necklace was stolen.
The crime of receiving stolen property occurs when a person buys or possesses property that has been stolen through theft, fraud, deceit, embezzlement, or taken by any other unlawful means by someone else. The receiver of stolen property could be convicted only if he or she knew the goods were stolen at the time of receipt. Receiving stolen property is a typical misdemeanor conviction, for property valued at under $400. The crime is punishable with jail time and/or fines.
- Extra Charges Filed Against Teen in 'bling ring' Celebrity Burglary Case (Los Angeles Times)
- Receiving Stolen Property (Stephan G. Rodriguez & Associates)
- Developing a Defense Strategy (FindLaw)
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