Best guess? Just avoiding being sued. Something being a false statement is a matter of fact that’s easily proven. Something being a lie requires proving state of mind. In the US I can’t imagine actually winning such a suit, but its still safer to cover asses.
Probably want to sit on stuff a bit after its stolen to make it less hot. Some stuff probably gets left in a corner or is harder to sell. Alternatively The intention is to steal a whole bunch then ship it overseas or across country and resell in a different region entirely.