Fort Lauderdale Theft Offense Lawyer

Theft is intentionally taking another person or party’s property, and it ranges from a second degree misdemeanor all the way up to a first degree felony, depending on the value of the property stolen. If you have been arrested for theft, do not take it lightly, even if you believe that you are innocent of the charges against you. You need legal defense. Our Fort Lauderdale theft offense lawyer at Haber | Blank LLP can help you come up with a strong defense strategy tailored to the specifics of your case.

Definition of Theft

In Florida, theft is defined as one of the following:

1. Knowingly taking or attempting to take another person’s property without the intent to take it temporarily or permanently
2. Depriving someone of a right to their property or depriving them from the benefit of their property, or
3. Appropriating another person’s property of another party.

Theft differs from burglary and robbery in that it is considered a nonviolent crime—the stolen property is taken from a store, or the property is in the form of a car stolen from a parking lot, etc. It was not taken by breaking into someone’s home (burglary), or taken from their person (robbery).

Degrees of Theft in Florida

• First Degree Grand Theft—Property valued at $100,000 or more is grand theft, which is a first degree felony, punishable by up to 30 years in prison and a fine of $10,000.
• Second Degree Grand Theft:
• Second Degree Grand Theft—Property valued between $20,000 and $99,999 is second degree theft, which is a second degree felony, punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a fine of $10,000.
• Third Degree Grand Theft—Property valued between $300 and $19,999 (or the property stolen was a motor vehicle of any value, a firearm of any value, a commercially farmed animal of any value, a fire extinguisher, a stop sign, a construction sign, 2,000 or more pieces of fruit, or anhydrous ammonia) is third degree theft, which is a third degree felony, punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of $5,000.
• First Degree Petty Theft—Property valued between $100 and $299 is first degree petty theft, which is a first degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail and a fine of $1,000.
• Second Degree Petty Theft—Property valued below $100 is second degree petty theft, which is a second degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to 60 days in jail and a fine of $500.

The prosecution may be able to enhance the penalties if the defendant had a prior theft conviction, used a car as a getaway vehicle, or caused damage during the commission of the theft.

Call a Fort Lauderdale Theft Offense Lawyer Today

Theft is a serious crime that prosecutors are eager to penalize, especially during today’s environment of inflation, which has spurred an increase in theft across the country. If you are being accused of theft of any degree, call the Fort Lauderdale theft offense lawyer at Haber | Blank LLP today at 954-767-0300 to schedule a free consultation.