If you’ve been charged with a theft crime in Tampa, you should immediately get in touch with the lawyers in Tampa. It’s not something that you should take easily. Theft crimes can be treated both as a felony or misdemeanor in Florida depending on the severity of the case. The theft would mean that you’ve wrongfully seized other’s property without their consent with the intent to deprive the owner and to use it for personal use. Thefts that are considered misdemeanors would also be on your records. Any kind of criminal charge affects your life negatively- both in professional and personal life. Hence, you should retain an expert lawyer for the same. They can evaluate your case, find the loopholes in the legal system which could work in your favor, and can prepare a robust defense strategy for you. Thefts in Florida can be of different types-
- Petit theft-This kind of theft falls under the first-degree misdemeanor and can result in punishments like a $1000 fine and imprisonment of up to one year. If the value of the stolen property is between $100 and $750, then it will be considered petit theft. However, the punishment will vary depending on the number of times you’ve committed the crime. For example, if a person has committed the crime more than three times, then it will be treated as a third-degree felony.
- Grant theft– If the stolen property is more than $750, it will be considered as grand theft. However, there are certain kinds of properties that could be categorized under grand theft, no matter whatever the value is. Some of the examples include- a will, real estate papers, firearms, or controlled substances.
- Forgery– Forgery is considered a third-degree felony charge. It is defined as a white-collar crime which includes making fake alterations or imitation of banknotes, insurance policy, signature, legal instruments, or similar things for fraudulent purposes. Usually, the accused if proven guilty can be sent for 5 years imprisonment with $5000 as a fine.
- Robbery– Robbery is the act of stealing things forcefully with the intention of depriving someone of their benefits. Though it falls under the second felony category, it will be considered a first-degree felony if the person uses harmful objects or weapons to use coercion or threat.
These are the different types of theft for which you may be punished. If you’ve been arrested or charged with theft, you should immediately get in touch with the best lawyers in Tampa. It’s good to retain a lawyer right from the beginning. They’ll go through the case and prepare the best defense strategy for you. Also, there’s a statute of limitation for the prosecution of crimes in Florida. And this is something that is not possible for a normal person to understand. Hence, you should get in touch with the attorneys to handle your case.