What is Larceny and What Happens if I am Charged with It??

There are several degrees of larceny that fall under either a misdemeanor or a felony. Depending on the amount of the item that is stolen, or the amount of money taken will classify the crime into one of these degrees. A larceny attorney is the best asset you can have if you are charged with larceny due to the severity of the crime and consequences.  

Larceny is defined under the Connecticut statute 53a-119 as “intent to deprive another of property or to appropriate the same to themselves or a third person, they wrongfully take, obtain or withhold such property from an owner.” Here are the most common forms of larceny:

• Embezzlement (taking something that is put in their care by another person and belongs to that person, for example, stealing money from a place of employment)

• Obtaining property through false promises or false pretenses, usually through fraud

• Taking property that has been lost or delivered by mistake

• Receiving stolen property

• Shoplifting

• Theft of utility services

• Theft of motor fuel

• Defrauding of the public community (for example, receiving benefits from the state when a person does not qualify to receive those benefits)

• Theft of services (professional services such as an accountant, hotel room, going to a restaurant, etc., with the intent not to pay)

The statute covers a few more types of larceny, however, these are the most typical crimes that appear in court. The punishment for these crimes include the following:

• Larceny in the sixth degree is theft of no more than $500 in money or goods, a class C misdemeanor with a term of no more than three months in jail and a fine of no more than $500.

• Larceny in the fifth degree is theft between $500-$1,000 in money or goods, a class B misdemeanor with a term of no more than six months and a fine of no more than $1,000.

• Larceny in the fourth degree is theft between $1,000-$2,000, a class A misdemeanor with a term of no more than a year and a fine of no more than $2,000.

• Larceny in the third degree is theft between $2,000-$10,000, theft of a motor vehicle valued less than $10,000, or a public record or instrument, a class D felony with a term of one to five years and a fine of no more than $5,000.

• Larceny in the second degree, a class C felony, is theft of:

  • A motor vehicle more than $10,000

  • Property from another

  • Property more than $2,000 from a public community

  • Property obtained through embezzlement, false promises, or fraud, and the victim is over 60 or has a mental defect

  • Utility services that interrupt emergency telecommunications

The time of imprisonment is one to ten years with a fine of no more than $10,000

• Larceny in the first degree, a class B felony, is theft of $20,000 or more, with a term of imprisonment of one to twenty years and a fine of no more $15,000.

Of these listed, shoplifting is the most common crime and accounts for a good majority of the charges that defendants appear for in arraignment court. This is the lowest degree, however, it is still a misdemeanor, which will stay on your record forever, come up on job applications and rental background checks. Protect yourself from the consequences of larceny and hire a larceny attorney in order to preserve your rights, prove your innocence, lessen the charge or jail time, and work towards possible expungement.

For more information or to schedule a consultation with us, call (203) 624-6115. Our office is located in New Haven. Call Knight & Cerritelli today.

NOTE: This is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.