Larceny includes all crimes of theft from petty theft of small items in a store to carjacking or auto theft, and many thefts that fall in between those extremes. Anyone facing any type of larceny charges needs to speak with an experienced defense lawyer as soon as possible.
Shoplifting and Theft in Virginia
In the Commonwealth of Virginia, larceny is defined as taking an item with the intent to permanently deprive the owner of that item. These refer only to items not taken directly from a person. The two types of larceny are petit larceny and grand larceny and several criteria are examined to determine what charges a person may face.
In Virginia, any item stolen with a value of $200 or more is considered grand larceny, while any object stolen with a value of less than $200 is considered petit larceny. If the item stolen is money or a firearm, it may also be considered grand larceny.
Anyone convicted of grand larceny is guilty of a felony. The person then faces up to 20 years in jail for the crime.
A petit larceny, on the other hand, carries a much lighter punishment. Petit larceny is a class 1 misdemeanor offense. Someone convicted of petit larceny faces up to 12 months in jail along with a fine of up to $2500.
In cases where there is direct contact with the owner during the carrying out of the crime may fall into another crime. If the person carrying out the crime comes in direct contact with the owner upon entry into someone’s house, the person may face robbery or burglary charges instead.
If you or your loved one faces are type of larceny charges, it is important to obtain the counsel of an aggressive Fairfax defense lawyer. Call today for your free, initial consultation.
