Do Not Face Federal Grand Theft Charges without an Attorney by Your Side
Theft charges that fall under the category of grand theft include purse snatching, pickpocketing, and car theft. It is described as the “unlawful taking, carrying, leading, or riding away of something” from another’s custody under federal rules.
Do not mix together grand theft and petty theft, two types of theft that refer to crimes with monetary values over and below a specified threshold in different countries. Theft is the most common type of theft by taking in practice. When individuals steal property from the federal government, theft becomes a federal issue.
Theft laws for grand theft
The federal grand theft statutes are not the same as the state theft laws. Despite the fact that almost every state recognizes theft, federal grand theft statutes are focused on preventing theft of public property. The federal government of the United States recognizes over a hundred distinct forms of theft, not all of which are recognized by specific states.
Theft crimes and charges for grand theft
Theft under the federal grand theft statute encompasses a wide range of crimes, of which the following are just a few examples:
- Con games
- Scams
- Insider trading
- Fraudulent credit card goods or programs
- Other “schemes” of a similar nature that entail misrepresentation are examples of theft by trick, deceit, or fraud
Theft through taking, often known as “asportation” in legal terms refers to property that has been entirely removed from the location where it was taken. Common sense is utilized during defense in situations of asportation to assess whether an object was “fully relocated” or not.
The object stolen must be personal property, which might include real property as well as anything physical, documents, services, information, intellectual property, or contraband goods, according to most definitions of theft.
Prosecutors must show that the stolen property was in the hands of someone without the owner’s consent in order to prove grand theft on a state or federal level. This can be more difficult than it appears, because in some cases, even the original owner may be unable to correctly identify the object.
The last important component of grand theft is that the accused thief must have intended to permanently convert the property to his or her use or permanently deprive the original owner of his or her usage. Individuals may be prosecuted with theft even if they planned to return the property due to the danger of irreversible loss.
The difference between grand theft and embezzlement is that the suspected thief had no legal access to the property.
Punishment for a federal grand theft conviction
The value of the object taken, as well as other aggravating elements, determine the length of imprisonment and penalties for grand theft. The “Base Offense Level,” which is six points, is used in federal grand theft sentencing guidelines. Losses of $5,000 or more in theft get you bonus points.
Additional points are awarded depending on a list of over eighteen aggravating circumstances. The sentence might range from a few months to twenty years or more, depending on whether the theft was aggravated by additional offenses such as breaking and entering.
Get help if you are facing federal grand theft charges
There is no reason for you to take these charges on without the help of an experienced attorney. At Chambers Law Firm we are standing by to provide a free case evaluation. If you are worried about your future, need legal guidance, and want to find the best way forward, then it is time to call us at 714-760-4088.
