Theft is a serious crime involving taking or using any property unlawfully that belongs to someone else. When you are arrested for theft, you will either be charged with petty theft or grand theft, including shoplifting, embezzlement, fraud, and robbery. These crimes have almost the same elements, have slight variations, and various possible punishments if you are found guilty. If you or someone you know has been charged with theft, consult a criminal defense lawyer.
What are the charges for theft?
The theft charges can range from half a year to as long as three years or sometimes a fine. Attempted theft can lead to imprisonment for three months as a year or a fine. There is an exemption to a standard when a robbery is committed between guardians, kin, companions, or youngsters and no other outside is gathered. The public prosecutor will impose charges on the complaint register.
Secondly, attempted theft with armed weapons can be considered aggravated to steal or cause any physical injury or injuries caused due to an attempt to defend. In such cases, the punishment can vary from 3 to 15 years.
If the charged person carries a weapon for attempting a robbery, it is known as a weapon by use; it is viewed as aggravating circumstance if the expectation of carrying the weapon was to utilize it.
Grand theft Vs. petty thought
The main difference between them is the value or cost of the stolen property. You can be charged with petty theft for stealing money or property less than $1000. Petty theft is a punishable offense, and the maximum punishment can be upto six months in jail or a fine of upto $1,000.
Grand theft is also known as a “wobbler.” It means that it can charge you with either felony or misdemeanor. If you have been accused of a felony, the punishment is three years and a fine of upto $1,000.
Armed robbery
When weapons like knives or guns are used during a theft is called armed robbery. Due to the use of firearms, the consequences of this type of robbery are much harsher. The sentence range for armed robbery can be three to nine years in prison.
Fraud
Fraud is another type of crime that involves convincing the victim to steal away property under false pretenses. They are often referred to as “white collar” that do not requires violence.
Shoplifting
This type of theft involved stealing goods from a retail shop. Shoplifting is the most common crime that is punishable by a mandatory fee that ranges from $500 to $1000 for upto six months of jail time.
