Manchester Theft Defense Lawyers
Fighting for those accused of larceny, shoplifting, and white collar crimes
Being charged with a theft crime may initially feel like it’s not a big deal until the weight of the circumstances begins to become apparent. You suddenly realize that it’s no laughing matter once it sinks in that you could be looking at jail time and heavy fines. Your family finding out can cause further embarrassment and stress, not to mention the potential for losing your job or being kicked out of an educational program. Whether you are an adult or juvenile, your future is now on the line.
Barry, Taylor & Levesque, LLC is here to help when the future seems grim. Our Manchester theft defense lawyers represent clients facing misdemeanor and felony charges throughout Connecticut. The right criminal defense lawyer can mean the difference between the future you want and a loss of your rights. Contact us today to see how we can help.
Common theft charges in Manchester
You have a lot to lose from the moment you have been arrested for a theft crime. Businesses and individuals are no longer willing to let even minor theft slide as easily as they did decades ago. Grocery stores will prosecute over as little as a couple of dollars to make a point. A quick hearing for them can mean a long-term punishment for you.
Some theft crimes can lead to bigger, much more serious criminal charges. Stealing guns, for instance, can lead to the weapon being used in an assault, or to carry out a homicide.
Larceny encompasses a vast array of crimes for which we represent clients when they have been charged:
- Embezzlement. When someone wrongfully appropriates to himself or to someone else, the property of another in his care or custody.
- Obtaining property by false pretenses. Obtaining property from another by any false token, pretense or device with intent to defraud him or another person.
- Extortion. Compelling or inducing someone else to deliver property to himself or a third person by instilling a fear that if the property is not delivered, the actor or another will initiate harmful acts, including, but not limited to:
- Causing physical injury to some person in the future
- Damaging the property
- Engaging in other criminal conduct
- Exposing a secret to subject a person to hatred, contempt or ridicule
- Theft of services. This includes everything from a “dine and dash” to using transportation services with no intent to pay. Each type of service theft involves various criteria for how the intent is carried out.
- Receiving stolen property. Receiving, retaining, or disposing of knowingly stolen property, or even just believing that it was probably stolen, unless your intent is to return the property to its rightful owner.
- Shoplifting. Intentionally taking merchandise for sale by any store without paying for the goods. It is presumed that intentionally concealing unpurchased merchandise is done so for the purpose of removing it from the store without paying for it.
No matter the severity of the crime you have been charged with, finding an attorney who will take an aggressive approach to your defense is crucial to protecting your rights. At Barry, Taylor & Levesque, LLC, we help to ensure that everyone charged with a crime receives fair treatment.
Don’t risk stiff penalties and jail time for Manchester theft charges
Theft crimes have varying degrees of felony and misdemeanor penalties that accompany them. If you are convicted, conditional discharge, probation, imprisonment, and steep fines are all punishments that you can expect to receive as part of your sentence depending upon the seriousness of criminal charge.
Larceny in the first degree: Class B felony
- Property or service is obtained by extortion
- Value exceeds $20,000
- Property consists of a motor vehicle exceeding $20,000
- Property obtained by defrauding a public community exceeds $2,000
Larceny in the second degree: Class C felony
- Property consists of a motor vehicle exceeding $10,000
- Property or service exceeds $10,000
- Property is taken from someone else
- Property obtained by defrauding a public community is $2,000 or less
- Property is obtained from a victim 60 years of age or older by embezzlement, false pretenses or false promise, is a conserved person, or is blind or physically disabled
- Property consists of wire, cable or other equipment used in providing of telecommunications service and taking the property causes an interruption in the providing emergency telecommunications service
Larceny in the third degree: Class D felony
- Property consists of a motor vehicle $2,000 or less
- Value of the property or service exceeds $2,000
- Property is a public record or document held by law by a public office or servant
- Property consists of material of a scientific nature reflecting or recording a secret scientific or technical process, invention or formula
Larceny in the fourth degree: Class A misdemeanor
- The value of the property or service exceeds $1,000
Larceny in the fifth degree: Class B misdemeanor
- The value of the property or service exceeds $500
Larceny in the sixth degree: Class C misdemeanor
- The value of the property or service is $500 or less
Having theft charges on your record can affect you in unfortunate ways that you can’t imagine until you are faced with them. Don’t let a criminal charge chase you for the rest of your life. There are defenses that we can employ to help minimize the impact on your future.
We use strategic defenses to get the best results in theft cases
Theft crimes are viewed as crimes of dishonesty and therefore leave people questioning your morals and ethics when considering you for employment, scholarships, school admission, internships, and even volunteer positions. Certain occupations will be difficult to enter with an arrest record, including the military. In short: your options will become more limited.
You need a strategic approach to your case to maximize your chances for walking away with minimal impact on your life.
Whether you intended to permanently take the property. Showing that you lacked the intent to permanently deprive someone of his or her property and that you were merely borrowing the item can help negate the legal requirements for conviction.
Whether you were given permission to take the money or property. Maybe you have a history of borrowing and returning the same item from the same person over a long period of time, so permission was implied, or maybe you have text messages or emails showing you were granted permission to use the property. Showing that you had permission from the owner of the property in question can be tricky but can also eliminate the intent requirement for the state to obtain a conviction.
Whether you were accurately identified by witnesses through proper procedure. There are procedures that need to be followed under the law when it comes to witness identification of a suspect for arrest. When procedure is not followed, it is possible that the witness has opened the door for a claim of mistaken identity.
Our goal is that you walk away from theft charges without shattering your life. Trust that our knowledgeable attorneys will provide you with a robust defense to your case.
Serious legal representation for serious theft allegations in CT
Your life should not be hindered by a mistake. If you have been charged with a theft crime, the skilled Manchester theft crime defense attorneys at Barry, Taylor & Levesque, LLC will aggressively work to help you obtain the best outcome possible for your case. To speak with an attorney about your Manchester or Hartford criminal charges, call our office at 860-649-4400 or reach out to us through our contact form today to schedule your consultation. We’re located right off I-84 or I-384 in Manchester.