Fence (criminal)

Fence (criminal)

A fence is an individual who knowingly buys stolen property for later resale, sometimes in a legitimate market. The fence thus acts as a middleman between thieves and the eventual buyers of stolen goods who may not be aware that the goods are stolen. As a verb, the word describes the behavior of the thief in the transaction: The burglar fenced the stolen radio. This sense of the term came from thieves' slang, first attested c. 1700, from the notion of such transactions taking place under defence of secrecy.

The fence is able to make a profit with stolen merchandise because he is able to pay thieves a very low price for stolen goods. The fence then disguises the stolen nature of the goods, if possible, so that he or she can sell them closer to the usual wholesale price. In the 2000s, newer "fencing operations hide from sight in legitimate businesses and show discipline and precision in their dealings". Fencing is illegal in the United States and in the United Kingdom, but the "legal requirements for demonstrating that fencing has occurred are complex".