Hi my son has been hanging out with bad friends. He told me a story and its making me stressed out and worried.

My son was hainging out with them a lot recently and he knew they were arrested/charged before, and they have known each other for a bit of time.
So one day they call him and ask him for a favour to drive them to a mall. My son is always careful and suspicous. So he dropped them off and parked far away from the door they entered. He was in the car still, never got out of the car. He waited and later they came with cash and items with them. They told my son that these are not legit and my son was very upset and starting to worry.

He's worried that if he can get arrested or charged about what he has done; participated in the crime technically. He also has been charges as a young offender before, and now he's 25years old.

He told me that, there's no camera or surveilince showing that it was him driving them, and he didn't even go with them to the mall. He said that there's no possible evidence against him..

What could happen to my son and what would be the only way to get him arrested and charged since there's no possible evidence..

Any comments or help would be very appreciated.
Thank you for reading

Ps. We live in red deer AB and technically, he did not do anything illegal, he just drove.. and there's no possible evidence against him,

He is in a bad situation... I would say that while he did not do anything illegal they could still probably get him for being an accomplice and/or aiding and abbetting (sp? Not even sure if I am close but you can guess what I mean)
If someone accuses him it will look like he was the getaway car... which he kind of was.
He really should go to the police and tell them what happened because if someone else comes forward first it will look like he was hiding it because he was part of it. Although that could put him in a dangerous position with these "friends" If nothing else he needs to find new friends... and NOW! These other kids aren't going to stop and he will end up in similar situations in the future. If someone saw what car they got into and had called the cops and they were pulled over with all that stuff in the car your son would have been just as liable for crimes. Encourage him to distance himself and move on to better friends who wouldn't use him and jeoperdize him for things as childish as stealing. Hope that helps.

First I really wouldn't have him or anyone from the family never talk about it outside of the house. And you never really know what kind of security they have now adays, I wouldn't feel safe about that most big business to have a lot of security and even if a camera didn't get him a guard could have seen the whole thing and have his license plate number. I don't want to sound mean but there's never any proof that a business is security free. To be safe wouldn't go there for awhile just in case they can identify his face.. Just lay low. The most important thing is I hope he has learned a lesson and got the crap scared out of him. And by the way yes he did do something wrong the drove the get away vehicle in a robbery that's a felony. He really I old enough to know better I hope this has taught his to grow up an do something constructive. You're a nicer parnet then I would be in this case. I wish you all the best

Of course he broke the law, he assisted in the crime, he was the "get away" driver. He can be charged fully with the same crimes that went into the mall.

If they catch one of the other people, they will talk most likely naming everyone.

If he is innocent, he will get an attorney, go to the police and tell them who did everything, so they can catch the bad guys and he will be able to get off.

Hello ric:

I don't know. If I had friends call me and ask for a ride to the mall, I wouldn't drop them off, park far away from the door, and wait in the car. You wouldn't either. Nobody would. NOBODY!

Therefore, in my view, your son is an accomplice to the crime, and if you believe him, you need some help too.

excon

I agree with Excon on this one. I really think that if your son has problems with his "friends" he should not have taken them anywhere let alone to the mall and have the niceness to actually "wait" for these clowns! Come on - he's in on the gag and you are falling for his excuses hook, line, and sinker. At 25 he needs to grow up and find more suitable friends or be prepared to spend some time in jail if he keeps being a free taxi service for these criminals. It's his choice. You are just being played for a sucker at this point.

So what would be the onlly way for him to get caught?
But even if there's a witness to it, there's not enough evidennce to c harge him, is there?

Ps.yes my son stopped hanging out with them after this\

Hello again, ric:

Don't you watch the cop shows on TV?? They don't use evidence. They catch one dude, threaten him with the chair if he doesn't snitch on his buddies, and the guy spills his guts.

That's going to happen here.

excon

Yea, he's so called buddies will name him. All he can do is deny he knew what they did, and get a lawyer - a good lawyer will get him out of that if it comes to this. I'd suggest that you tell your son that he was awful lucky, and next time he may not be so lucky, and avoid these 'friends'.

Thank you so muchm bobloblaw, excon, twinkiedooter, Fr_Chuck, mishelly3, kraussnumber2..

But there are couple of things I do not understand. One, even if someone says something against him, cops can't just come to my house and arrest my son, I saw it on TV too.. what they usually do is they raid the house and if they find something, then the person gets arressted? Or am I wrong?
Two, say my son is arrested by the police, but why would he get the same charges as the other boys? Wouldn that be just assist theft or something not big as what their charges are?
Three, so are you guys saying that he will get caught/arrested/charged? (I know you guys don't work with police and don't know the exact situations, but as an expert.. )

Ps. Yes, my son is very scared of the future.. he graduated last year, and have a decent job, and I'm just so upset and stressed out of what he has done.. I hope he learned his lesson..

Once again thanks you all very much for answering my questions.

I think it really depends on if they catch one of the other guys... like the other people said if they catch one they will scare him enough to give out names. There are cameras everywhere in malls so they definitely could catch them. It really depends on the amounts of stuff they took. They aren't going to review security tapes for ten dollars worth of missing inventory and it might take a long time for the stores to even realize stuff was taken.

Im not sure how it works with something as far as theft... but typically when someone pins a crime on someone they could come to your house and arrest him... seeing as how this is just a theft (depending on the dollar amount it will be either a misdemeanor or a felony.) they will probably just put out a warrant. Meaning if he gets pulled over or if the cops see his car they can stop him and arrest him on the spot... same if he gets in a car accident or anything where the cops come across him out in the world. But they could come find him at home or even at work which would probably get him fired... if he does end up with a warrant tell him to turn himself in and get a lawyer to prove his part in this crime. It is always better to turn yourself in then to be found.
And on the last question... if he can prove that he just drove and the other people don't say differently then he will probably only get charged with aiding and being an accomplice or something to that effect. But if he kept anything then he will be in possession of stolen goods and he would probably get charged with theft as well.
He should be scared! I would be if I was in his situation. I suggest getting a lawyer and going to the police and telling them what happened especially if he is as innocent as he is telling you. Although I honestly think that he knew what they were doing which makes his part illegal.
I hope things get straightenend out... sounds like he learned his lesson by being so scared and breaking off contact with those people.

Hello again, ric:

Depending on what crime was committed inside the mall, the cops might come after him, or they might not. I don't know what they did. Do you? Does your son??

All you say HE says, is they came back with cash and items... Well, if it was $2.43 in cash, and a couple pieces of bubble gum, the cops aren't going to come after him for shoplifting...

But, if the guys in the mall ROBBED somebody, then you betca the cops will be knocking on your door. Can they arrest him because he was snitched on?? You betcha they can.

Now, I don't know if that will be enough to CONVICT him, but they'll surely take him downtown. If he's like MOST kids, they'll intimidate him into confessing. YES they will. They are VERY good at doing that...

So, if I was you, I'd hire the best criminal lawyer you can for your son, and I'd do it TODAY.

excon

We already have a criminal lawyer from the past, and I asked my son, and he said it's a type of fraud. So you guys are saying that, he will be charged only if they snitch, but it won't stand up against the court if we have a good lawyer?

Again, thank you so much for answering back

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Originally Posted by excon

Hello again, ric:

Depending on what crime was committed inside the mall, the cops might come after him, or they might not. I dunno what they did. Do you? Does your son????

All you say HE says, is they came back with cash and items... Well, if it was $2.43 in cash, and a couple pieces of bubble gum, the cops aren't going to come after him for shoplifting...

But, if the guys in the mall ROBBED somebody, then you betca the cops will be knocking on your door. Can they arrest him because he was snitched on??? You betcha they can.

Now, I dunno if that will be enough to CONVICT him, but they'll surely take him downtown. If he's like MOST kids, they'll intimidate him into confessing. YES they will. They are VERY good at doing that....

So, if I was you, I'd hire the best criminal lawyer you can for your son, and I'd do it TODAY.

excon

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What do you mean by it?
And I even asked the police about the witness.. they said that, witness/snitches have to stand up against the court, in order to get them guilty. And what I think is that when someone snitches on somebody, and they don't want to stand up against the court, cops have a warrant on them and search the house and the car, and if they find something, then the person is in trouble, otherwise, they can't do anything. If I'm wrong, please correct me with the exact right answer.