C.P.G. § 4.7 — Gift & Occasion Fraud
Petty Infraction“A person is guilty of Gift & Occasion Fraud when they (a) regift within the original giver's plausible orbit, (b) sign a joint gift card without contributing to the joint gift, or (c) present as thoughtful a gift purchased at a petrol station en route.”
Definitions
- “Plausible orbit”.
- Any social distance across which the original giver could conceivably attend the same party as the gift.
- “The card-signing freeload”.
- Affixing one's name to generosity one did not fund.
Elements (proof required: a preponderance of the evidence)
- A gift or gift occasion existed
- The accused regifted within orbit, freeloaded on a joint gift, or materially misrepresented a gift's provenance
- Discovery caused aggrievement
Recognized defenses
- The Genuine Fit Defense — the regift truly suited the recipient better, provable by the recipient's unprompted delight
Aggravating circumstances
- The regifted item still contained the original gift tag
- The freeloader's name appeared FIRST on the card
Sentencing guideline: Gift restitution, card-signing bans, and provenance disclosure requirements.
Sentences this court has been known to hand down
- procurement of a genuine, personally chosen gift within fourteen (14) days, receipt filed with the court
- a one-year ban on signing joint cards without documented contribution
- full provenance disclosure on all gifts for the next two occasions