Schenectady Theft Crime Lawyer

Get Strong Defense for Your Larceny Charges

Getting accused of stealing is humiliating and can ruin your reputation even if you are found not guilty.

That’s why you need strong defense in your corner. Nothing is more important than preserving your freedom, rights, and good name in situations like these, which means you need powerhouse legal counsel to handle your theft crime charges. A conviction for a theft crime could land you in jail, impose steep fines, affect your employment and/or housing status, and appear on your criminal record. In other words, a conviction could ruin your life.

Fight your accusations with the help of our Schenectady theft crime attorney today. With 150+ combined years of legal experience and a track record for successful results, you can trust DeLorenzo, Grasso & Dalmata, LLP to be your first line of defense. Call (518) 299-0314 to begin your defense.

Petit Larceny & Grand Larceny Charges in New York

Theft, which is technically called “larceny,” is defined in New York as wrongfully taking, obtaining, or withholding property with the intent to deprive the owner thereof. Simply put, theft is a type of stealing. Theft can be committed in the following ways:

Taking, tricking, embezzling, or obtaining property by lying
Acquiring lost property
Giving false promises
Issuing a bad check
Extortion

In New York, larceny is categorized as petit larceny and grand larceny. Petit larceny is a class A misdemeanor punishable by up to 1 year in jail or 3 years of probation and/or $1,000 fines. Petit larceny occurs when a person steals property totaling $1,000 or less, making it the lowest-level type of theft offense.

Grand larceny, on the other hand, involves property exceeding $1,000 in value. Depending on the type and value of the allegedly stolen property, you could get charged with anything from fourth-degree grand larceny to first-degree grand larceny.

What Is the Penalty for Grand Larceny in New York?

Grand larceny is typically charged as a felony crime in NY. See below for more information on grand larceny punishments.

Fourth-degree grand larceny is a class E felony, which carries a maximum prison term of 4 years and/or up to $5,000 fines. Also called “grand theft,” grand larceny occurs when a person steals property and:

The value of the property is more than $1,000
The property consists of a public record, writing, or instrument kept by a public office or public servant
The property consists of secret science material
The property consists of a credit or debit card
The property is obtained by extortion
The property consists of at least one firearm, shotgun, or rifle
The property consists of a motor vehicle valued at over $100
The property consists of anhydrous ammonia or liquified ammonia gas intended for manufacturing methamphetamine

A class D felony, third-degree grand larceny occurs when the property is valued at more than $3,000 or the property is an automated teller machine or its contents. If convicted of this crime, you could face up to 7 years in jail and/or thousands of dollars in fines.

Second-degree grand larceny occurs when a person steals property valued at more than $50,000 or obtains the stolen property by extortion. A conviction for this class C felony offense carries up to 15 years in jail and potentially up to $5,000 in fines or double the amount you made from committing the reported crime.

The most serious theft charge a person can get is first-degree grand larceny, which occurs when a person steals property valued at over $1 million. This crime is a class B felony punishable by up to 25 years in jail and thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, of dollars in fines.

Possible Defenses to Theft

Although you may feel hopeless in your situation, we challenge you to think again. Depending on the circumstances that lead to your charges, our Schenectady theft crime lawyer can utilize one or more of the following defenses in your case:

You lacked intent
You were the actual owner
You acted in good faith even though you were mistaken
You returned the property
You were entrapped
You were intoxicated
You didn’t do it

If you were accused of theft, don’t go at it alone. Our Schenectady theft crime lawyer at DeLorenzo, Grasso & Dalmata, LLP can help good people like you overcome bad situations. To get started on your defense, schedule a free consultation online or at (518) 299-0314!