CHARGED WITH A tHEFT CRIME?

In Illinois, theft crimes are defined as any activity that involves taking, or attempting to take property without the owner's consent.

Theft crimes may include shoplifting, car theft, embezzlement, burglary and larceny. Depending on the severity of the crime, theft crimes in Illinois can range from misdemeanors to felonies. Penalties for a theft conviction may include fines, restitution or even jail time.

Chicago Theft crime Attorneys

iN ILLINOIS A PERSON COMMITS THEFT WHEN THEY KNOWINGLY:

  1. Obtains or exerts unauthorized control over property of the owner; or

  2. Obtains by deception control over property of the owner; or

  3. Obtains by threat control over property of the owner; or

  4. Obtains control over stolen property knowing the property to have been stolen or under such circumstances as would reasonably induce him to believe that the property was stolen; or

  5. Obtains or exerts control over property in the custody of any law enforcement agency which is explicitly represented to him by any law enforcement officer or any individual acting in behalf of a law enforcement agency as being stolen, and

    1. Intends to deprive the owner permanently of the use or benefit of the property; or

    2. Knowingly uses, conceals or abandons the property in such manner as to deprive the owner permanently of such use or benefit; or

    3. Uses, conceals, or abandons the property knowing such use, concealment or abandonment probably will deprive the owner permanently of such use or benefit.

Illinois Theft crime Convictions

PENALTIES FOR THEFT CRIME CONVICTIONS IN ILLINOIS:

  • Theft of property not from the person and not exceeding $300 in value is a Class A misdemeanor.

  • Theft of property not from the person and not exceeding $300 in value is a Class 4 felony if the theft was committed in a school or place of worship or if the theft was of governmental property.

  • Theft of property from the person not exceeding $300 in value, or theft of property exceeding $300 and not exceeding $10,000 in value, is a Class 3 felony.

  • Theft of property from the person not exceeding $300 in value, or theft of property exceeding $300 and not exceeding $10,000 in value, is a Class 2 felony if the theft was committed in a school or place of worship or if the theft was of governmental property.

  • Theft of property exceeding $10,000 and not exceeding $100,000 in value is a Class 2 felony.

  • Theft of property exceeding $10,000 and not exceeding $100,000 in value is a Class 1 felony if the theft was committed in a school or place of worship or if the theft was of governmental property.

  • Theft of property exceeding $100,000 and not exceeding $500,000 in value is a Class 1 felony.

  • Theft of property exceeding $100,000 in value is a Class X felony if the theft was committed in a school or place of worship or if the theft was of governmental property.

Illinois Burglary crime Attorneys

BURGLARY CRIMES IN ILLINOIS:

A person commits burglary when without authority he knowingly enters, or without authority remains within a: building, house trailer, watercraft, aircraft, motor vehicle as defined in the Illinois Vehicle Code, railroad car, or any part thereof, with intent to commit therein a felony or theft.

This offense shall not include the offenses set out in Section 4-102 of the Illinois Vehicle Code.  Burglary is a Class 2 felony. A burglary committed in a school, residence, or place of worship is a Class 1 felony

Illinois Retail Theft crime Attorneys

RETAIL THEFT CRIMES IN ILLINOIS:

A Person commits the offense of retail theft when he or she knowingly:

  • Takes possession of, carries away, transfers or causes to be carried away or transferred, any merchandise displayed, held, stored or offered for sale in a retail mercantile establishment with the intention of retaining such merchandise or with the intention of depriving the merchant permanently of the possession, use or benefit of such merchandise without paying the full retail value of such merchandise; or

  • Alters, transfers, or removes any label, price tag, marking, indicia of value or any other markings which aid in determining value affixed to any merchandise displayed, held, stored or offered for sale, in a retail mercantile establishment and attempts to purchase such merchandise personally or in consort with another at less than the full retail value with the intention of depriving the merchant of the full retail value of such merchandise; or

  • Transfers any merchandise displayed, held, stored or offered for sale, in a retail mercantile establishment from the container in or on which such merchandise is displayed to any other container with the intention of depriving the merchant of the full retail value of such merchandise; or

  • Under rings with the intention of depriving the merchant of the full retail value of the merchandise; or

  • Removes a shopping cart from the premises of a retail mercantile establishment without the consent of the merchant given at the time of such removal with the intention of depriving the merchant permanently of the possession, use or benefit of such cart; or

  • Represents to a merchant that he or another is the lawful owner of property, knowing that such representation is false, and conveys or attempts to convey that property to a merchant who is the owner of the property in exchange for money, merchandise credit or other property of the merchant; or

  • Uses or possesses any theft detection shielding device or theft detection device remover with the intention of using such device to deprive the merchant permanently of the possession, use or benefit of any merchandise displayed, held, stored or offered for sale in a retail mercantile establishment without paying the full retail value of such merchandise. A violation of this subsection shall be a Class A misdemeanor for a first offense and a Class 4 felony for a second or subsequent offense; or

  • Obtains or exerts unauthorized control over property of the owner and thereby intends to deprive the owner permanently of the use or benefit of the property when a lessee of the personal property of another fails to return it to the owner, or if the lessee fails to pay the full retail value of such property to the lessor in satisfaction of any contractual provision requiring such, within 10 days after written demand from the owner for its return. A notice in writing, given after the expiration of the leasing agreement, by registered mail, to the lessee at the address given by the lessee and shown on the leasing agreement shall constitute proper demand.

Illinois Retail Theft crime Convictions

PENALTIES FOR RETAIL THEFT CRIME CONVICTIONS IN ILLINOIS:

  • Retail theft of property, the full retail value of which does not exceed $150, is a Class A misdemeanor

  • Theft by emergency exit of property, the full retail value of which does not exceed $150, is a Class 4 felony

  • A person who has been convicted of retail theft of property, the full retail value of which does not exceed $150, and who has been previously convicted of any type of theft, robbery, armed robbery, burglary, residential burglary, possession of burglary tools or home invasion is guilty of a Class 4 felony

  • A person who has been convicted of theft by emergency exit of property, the full retail value of which does not exceed $150, and who has been previously convicted of any type of theft, robbery, armed robbery, burglary, residential burglary, possession of burglary tools or home invasion is guilty of a Class 3 felony

    • When a person has any such prior conviction, the information or indictment charging that person shall state such prior conviction so as to give notice of the State's intention to treat the charge of retail theft as a felony.

    • The fact of such prior conviction is not an element of the offense and may not be disclosed to the jury during trial unless otherwise permitted by issues properly raised during such trial.

  • Any retail theft of property, the full retail value of which exceeds $150, is a Class 3 felony

  • Theft by emergency exit of property, the full retail value of which exceeds $150, is a Class 2 felony

    • When a charge of retail theft of property or theft by emergency exit of property, the full value of which exceeds $150, is brought, the value of the property involved is an element of the offense to be resolved by the trier of fact as either exceeding or not exceeding $150.

GET IN TOUCH

Theft offenses do carry a serious penalty in Illinois, and a very bad stigma that may keep you from pursuing your life goals.

Call and Speak to a Theft Defense Attorney today.