Virginia Theft Lawyer (Larceny)

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read below important information related to penalties and defense theft strategies.

Virginia Theft Lawyer Explains Types of Theft or Larceny Crimes in Northern Virginia

Virginia distinguishes between two main categories of larceny. 

Petit Larceny is the lesser offense and Grand Larceny is the greater offense.

Petit Larceny is defined in the Virginia code as §18.2-96. 

Petit Larceny is

(1) theft of money or a thing worth less than $5 from the person of another, and

(2) the theft of money or anything less than $1,000 not from the person of another.

Grand Larceny, as defined in §18.2-95, is

(1) the taking from another’s person money or other things worth $5 or more,

(2) stealing money or other things worth $1,000 or more not from the person of another, and

(3) the theft of any firearm of any value not from the person of another.

Virginia distinguishes between several crimes under the umbrella of larceny. 

These crimes include theft of banknotes and checks, pets or other animals, vehicles such as cars, and more. 

Some of these specific kinds of theft such as theft of a vehicle under §18.2-102 and theft of a pet or animal under §18.2-97 are, with a few exceptions, automatically Class 5 or 6 felonies.

What Are The Penalties for Being Convicted with Either a Misdemeanor or Felony Larceny Conviction?

In Virginia, Petit Larceny is a Class 1 Misdemeanor.  Being convicted of a Class 1 Misdemeanor is serious and can result in up to a year of detention in jail, a fine of $2,500, or both.  I

f you are facing a Petit Larceny charge, consult a skilled Virginia theft lawyer.

In Virginia, being convicted of a Grand Larceny charge can result in a sentence of 1 to 20 years of detention in state prison. 

Grand Larceny convictions can also be punishable with a $2,500 fine paired with a jail sentence of up to a year.  If you are facing a Grand Larceny charge, get a skilled Virginia theft attorney.

In Virginia, theft is referred to as “larceny”.  Larceny is illegally taking of another’s property without their consent and with the intent to permanently deprive them of that property. 

Larceny charges include shoplifting, stealing computer data, stealing a firearm, and other forms of theft. 

If you are facing a larceny charge, speak to a skilled Virginia theft lawyer.  If you face any of these charges, consult a skilled Virginia theft lawyer.

Similar charges include Embezzlement, Felony Theft, Petit Larceny, Grand Larceny, Identity Theft, Carjacking, Credit Card Fraud, Auto Theft, Joyriding, Theft of a pet or certain other animals, Burglary, and Robbery.

What Are The Civil Penalties for Acts of Theft

In Virginia, the same act of larceny or theft can be tried both as a criminal case and as a civil case. 

Shoplifting is a perfect example of an act that is both a Criminal offense and a civil offense. 

You can still be sued in a civil action, even if no criminal charges are brought against you.

If found liable in a civil case of shoplifting, the shoplifter has to pay double the value of the stolen goods. 

If the doubled value of the goods is less than $50, then the shoplifter has to pay $50. 

If the merchandise is in good enough condition to still be sold, the shoplifter will not have to pay more than $350. 

If the merchandise is not found to be in merchantable condition, the shoplifter will owe the retail value of the goods.

Other acts that can be charged as theft or larceny can also be tried civilly as well. 

These charges can result in further fines and fees.  To combat these civil charges, get a Skilled Virginia theft attorney.

What do Will Previous Convictions mean?

Because the various kinds of theft are considered larceny in Virginia, the same sentencing traditions will apply to theft and larceny. 

This means a record of a prior misdemeanor or felony larceny conviction will affect sentencing.  

If you have already been convicted of misdemeanor larceny or felony larceny, the next larceny conviction will result in jail time ranging from one month to twelve months and a fine set by the court. 

It does not matter if the previous convictions were in Virginia or another state.

If you have already been convicted of larceny two times, any future larceny offenses in Virginia will be Class 6 felonies.  Under §18.2-110, these felony larcenies can result in one to five years in prison, or up to a year of jail time, and a fine of up to $2,500, or both.

Why You Need to Hire an Experienced Virginia Theft Lawyer

What people commonly call “theft” is called larceny in Virginia.  Thefts range from Petit Larceny and minor thefts to Grand Larceny and the theft of cars, pets, firearms, and great sums of money. 

The punishments will vary to fit the scale of the crime being charged, but all of them are costly and time-consuming. 

To best fight charges of theft in Virginia, get a skilled Virginia theft attorney