Receiving stolen property is not a sign of grave immorality and is not grounds for deportation, the Fourth District Court of Appeal, Division Two, ruled Oct. 16.
Their ruling affirms the 2009 precedent Castillo-Cruz v. Holder, that says receiving stolen property is a common theft offense.
Under current law, crimes that involve grave immorality, officially known as moral turpitude, can be grounds for deportation. To qualify as a crime involving moral turpitude, theft offenses must include “the offender’s intention to permanently deprive the owner of his property.”
The Castillo-Cruz ruling established that receipt of stolen property is generally not a crime of moral turpitude because
