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Green’s Dictionary of Slang

sticky fingers n.

1. a thief.

1949		Monteleone Criminal Sl. (rev. edn) 226: sticky fingers One given to petty theft; to steal.
1968		G. Cuomo Among Thieves 147: The fellow with his eye on the prize. Old sticky fingers.
1978		Salina Jrnl (KS) 28 Nov. 11/6: The presentation will be a film, ‘Sticky Fingers,’ [...] and a discussion on types and ages of shoplifters.
2001		D. Looser Boobslang [U. Canterbury D.Phil. thesis] 178/1: sticky fingers n. a thief.

2. the tendency or desire to steal.

1962		B. McGhee Cut and Run (1963) 77: I dropped the watch in my pocket. I can’t control my sticky fingers.
1979		Argus-Leader (Sioux Falls, SD) 13 Oct. 4/1: You can apply for another job [...] and they’ll never know you had sticky fingers.
1984		B. Ellem Doing Time app. C 212: [S]omeone with sticky fingers. If there’s something missing, and there’s a known thief in the area he’s suspected straight away.
1994		Liverpool Echo 3 Mar. 11/3: [headline] Sticky Fingers. Jones [...] was conditionally discharged [...] after admitting theft of pop-corn and ice-cream.
2001		J. Baker Shooting in the Dark (2002) 285: Maybe Ralph’s sticky fingers had upset some kind of drug syndicate and they were looking for revenge.
2003		Eve. Herald (Dublin) 15 Oct. 17/1: [pic. caption] Sticky Fingers: With mounting debts, Fair City’s Dolores steals from her hubby’s wallet.

In compounds

sticky-fingered (adj.) (also sticky-finger)

larcenous.

1891		Pubs Eng. Dial. Soc 62-5 33: STICKY-FINGERED, adj. thievish. ‘He’s a sticky-fingered chap, an’ all. The very fust day he’s out of prison he steals a bag of potatoes out of Widow Baines’ garding’.
1907		Sun. Times (Perth) 21 Apr. 1/1: Having picked up the ten pound note [...] he attempted to bluff [...] the name and occupation of the sticky-fingered bounder will appear in due time.
1922		Leeds Mercury 4 Jan. 6/4: ‘Sticky Fingers’ at Sales. [...] when the sales are in full swing, shoplifting is being practised.
1932		Scotsman 8 Sept. 2/4: [He][ is the best of a sticky-fingered crew.
1943		‘Henry Green’ Caught (2001) 151: When you said about the Regular what ’ad a sister that got took inside for bein’ sticky fingered in one of the big shops.
1953		Dundee Courier 28 July 5/6: Sticky Fingers at Work. [...] Burra, the king of pickpockets, relieves him of a few possessions.
2008		Sun. Times (S.Afr.) 6 Jan. 20: The sticky-fingered Mwai Kibaki, who had just added an election to the list of stolen goods in his possession.
2015		Star Press (Muncie, IN) 28 Feb. A8/1: Why tempt some sticky-finger thief by leaving your purse in the car?

In phrases

play sticky fingers (v.)

to rob.

1977

(con. 1960s) D. Goines Black Gangster (1991) 133: Find out if Roman is playing sticky fingers with our bread.