Are you in for an easy 125 credits? Visit John Smith in Probably Stolen and report him! His face is on the Security Wanted list, and reporting him earns you money and boosts your security reputation.
However, there is another side. If you turn him in, you will lose a customer who visits you every seven days. It is a tough choice, isn’t it? In this guide, I’ll cover all the options and outcomes of his storyline and teach you how to arrest him.
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Probably Stolen John Smith: All Choices
In short, sparing John Smith is generally the better long-term choice if your shop regularly sells food. He can return every seven days in the game. In this regard, his spending budget increases as your run progresses. On the other hand, if you report him, you will be awarded 125 credits and 5 security reputation. Beware, turning him in would end his regular visits.
John Smith Choices You Can Make
| Choice | Reward | Consequence |
|---|---|---|
| Let John Smith go | Recurring food purchase | Return every seven days |
| Report him | 125 credits + 5 security reputation | Returns after two days, but loses his regular customer schedule |
| Report him again | Another 125 credits | He vandalizes your shop overnight |
| Report him for vandalism | Another 125 credit bounty | Ends the retaliation sequence |
These are base bounty rewards. Some perks like Model Citizen and Convict change how much Security pays.
John Smith Appearance in the Game
John Smith is one of the wanted customers who randomly visits your shop. His earliest possible appearance depends on whether you played through the introduction.
- Normal Playthrough: Day 14 or later
- Skip Intro enabled: Day 5 or later
In one of my playthroughs, he appeared on Day 39. I did not skip the introduction, and I chose to report him because I was in dire need of credits. On the second playthrough, he visited the shop on Day 34. The arrival dates are not guaranteed. Wanted customers appear randomly, and John Smith might not show up until much later.
John Smith isn’t the only character who puts you in a tough spot with Security. In our Probably Stolen Serpico guide, we cover another wanted character whose fate depends on the choices you make.
There is one perk named Known Snitch. This perk prevents wanted customers (on the security poster) from visiting your shop. Avoid that perk if you want to experience the John Smith storyline.
How to Identify and Report John Smith?
John Smith belongs to the lower-level factions and appears on the Security Wanted list with a 125-credit bounty.
Here is how to identify and report him:
- Get the Wanted poster: Officer Lun gives it to you during the introduction.
- Confirm his identity: Match John Smith’s face with his Wanted poster portrait.
- Call Security: Hold the teal button beneath the counter while he’s at the window.
- Complete the report: If John Smith pleads with you, activate the alarm again.
- Collect your reward: Security arrests him and pays the 125-Credit base bounty.
What Happens If You Report John Smith
John Smith’s first arrest does not finish his storyline. In fact, turning him in starts a short chain of events that can bring him back to your store.
First Arrest
Reporting John Smith rewards you with a 125-Credit base bounty. Security detains him for two days before he returns to your shop. He’s understandably unhappy about being arrested. Despite that, he’ll still buy food, with a budget of 100 to 150 Credits on this return visit.
At this point, you can either serve him or report him again. Just remember that the original seven-day customer schedule is already gone, even if you decide to let him leave.
Second Arrest
Reporting John Smith a second time makes things more personal. That night, someone spray-paints JOHN SMITH across your store. The culprit isn’t exactly subtle about it, either. John returns the following morning.
You can report him again, this time for the vandalism, and receive another 125-Credit base bounty.
This is the final retaliation event described in the available character storyline.
What Happens If You Spare John Smith
If you ignore the Wanted poster and let John Smith shop normally, he becomes a recurring food customer.
His first visit comes with a spending budget of 125 to 175 Credits. After that, he returns every seven in-game days, provided you haven’t reported him. His later customer budget is calculated from a base of 125 Credits, a random bonus of up to 50 Credits, and another 4 Credits for each day of the current run.
That doesn’t mean you’ll automatically earn his entire budget. You still need suitable food to sell him. But the longer your shop stays open, the more potential spending power he brings with each visit.
The important detail is that reporting him even once permanently ends this recurring customer route.
Choosing not to report him on a later visit won’t restore it.
For a food-focused store, that’s a meaningful trade-off. A steady buyer who returns throughout your playthrough can be more useful than collecting the same small bounty a few times.
Is John Smith Actually Innocent?
John Smith claims he’s an ordinary person caught up in a case of mistaken identity.
According to his explanation, Security keeps confusing him with a robber because they share such a common name.
The game doesn’t establish his innocence through this explanation alone. In terms of gameplay, reporting him is treated as a valid arrest rather than a wrongful report. That leaves the moral side of the decision open to interpretation. You can believe his story and help him out, or side with Security and collect the reward.
Either way, the practical difference is clear: sparing John Smith keeps his regular food purchases available, while reporting him trades that future business for immediate credits and Security reputation.
