The act of taking something that does not belong to you can take several forms in terms of legal charges. Whether you are facing theft, burglary or robbery charges, you need an effective and experienced defense lawyer to protect your rights. Mark D. Kelly has worked with people accused of all types of theft-related crimes in the Twin Cities and greater Minnesota. He is a top-rated defense lawyer because of his willingness to aggressively advocate for the rights of his clients.
Being convicted of a property related crime like theft, robbery or burglary carries potential jail time and heavy fines. A conviction related to stealing will also have long-lasting effects on your potential for securing a good job. Employers are very reluctant to hire someone who they believe might steal from them.
In very basic terms, theft is the act of taking something that does not belong to you. Robbery adds the element of a threat against a person, Burglary adds the element of entering someone’s private property to take the item. Robbery and Burglary, life theft, follow a similar framework as the one below where the higher the value of what was stolen equates to a higher fine and longer maximum time in jail.
Classification of Theft Offenses There are dozens of types of theft defined by Minnesota law including Theft by check, altering a serial number on a vehicle, wage theft, workers’ compensation fraud and theft under the Federal Food Stamp Program. Regardless of how the theft happened, the penalties are generally determined by the total value of what was stolen. In a some cases the item that was stolen can affect the class of penalty (in the case of stolen drugs or guns).
Value of Stolen Item(s) | OR... | Max Jail Time | Max Fine |
Over $35,000 |
|
20 Years | $100,000 |
$5,000 - $35,000 |
|
10 Years | $20,000 |
$1,000 - $5,000 |
|
5 Years | $10,000 |
$500 - $1,000 | 1 Year | $3,000 | |
Under $500 | 90 Days | $1,000 |
No matter the degree or type of property crime you are facing, having experienced and dedicated counsel to protect your rights through the defense process is critical. We have seen several instances of “trumped up” charges related to theft where a prosecutor is determined to seem “tough on crime”. Do not become a statistic of the system; contact Mark D. Kelly Criminal Defense right now to learn how we can help you through this difficult time.