Some interesting stories involving theft crimes made headlines this week in the Los Angeles Times. In one story, police are looking for a 'Plain Jane Bandit' who has robbed several bank branches throughout Southern California. U.S. Bank is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to this individual's arrest.
In a more bizarre story, fifteen reptiles were taken from Moorten Botanical Garden in Palm Springs. Police think more than one individual was involved in order to pull off such a deed, especially considering that one of the animals taken was a 10 year old, 35 pound African sulcata. According to police, reptile thieves in the past have rarely pulled off such a large-scale crime.
There are many forms of theft which can include:
- Retail theft
- Burglary
- Robbery
- Cargo theft
- Piracy
- White collar crimes- embezzlement and identity theft, for example
In the case of identity theft alone, there are eight types:
- Insurance identity theft
- Medical identity theft
- Criminal identity theft
- Driver's license identity theft
- Synthetic identity theft
- Social security theft
- Child identity theft
Theft is one of the most common of crimes, and while penalties vary accordingly, California enforces some hard-hitting consequences. Petty theft is the stealing of merchandise up to $950 whereas grand theft involves stealing goods exceeding $950. Grand theft is a "wobbler," which means it can be considered either a misdemeanor or felony offense, depending on the circumstance and the defendant.
Penalties that individuals convicted of theft can face include:
- Fines
- Community service
- Probation
- Jail/prison
- Restitution
- Counseling
- CALTRANS
Whether you have been accused of robbing a bank or stealing reptiles, you should seek the help of a criminal defense attorney immediately! Lessem, Newstat & Tooson, LLP has extensive experience handling a wide range of theft crimes which include: credit card theft, identity theft, internet theft, white collar theft (tax evasion, fraud, forgery, extortion, etc.) and other theft crimes. With over 50 years of experience, we are a criminal defense firm you can trust with the details of your case! Let us provide you with quality legal representation today!
