Theft Crimes

Larceny, Grand Theft, Robbery, Embezzlement, and Auto-theft What is Theft?

The crime of theft involves the controlling the personal property belonging to another with the intent to deprive them of that property. Petty or misdemeanor theft is where the value of the property is one thousand dollars ($1,000) or less.[1] Shoplifting occurs when a person obtains the good of another and either: does not pay the purchase price, pays less than the purchase price, or charges the goods to a fictitious person. [2]

Felony theft is where the value of the property or services exceeds one thousand dollars ($1,000), or the property taken is a firearm or animal (for animal fighting).[3] Auto-theft is also a felony where a person controls property that is an automobile, or a person is a passenger of an automobile they know is stolen.[4] Robbery is also a felony where the threat of force or use of force is used to obtain property or service from a person’s immediate possession. [5]

Extortion is where a person obtains property or services from another by threatening that person with, for example- physical injury, damage to their property, or exposure of a secret. [6] Embezzlement is a type of theft where the property or service is entrusted to another for a certain purpose and that same person uses it in an unauthorized way. [7]

What are the Consequences?

If you are accused of a theft crime, the Maricopa District Attorney (“D.A.”) has the power to charge you with a misdemeanor or a felony depending on the value taken and the number of prior offenses that you have. The consequences you face for a theft offense depend on the type of theft charged, but generally include: years of court probation [8], jail time, criminal protective order [9], restitution to the victim, and standard fines and fees. In addition, it is important to know that your theft conviction can be taken into consideration D.A. as a prior to raise your sentence the next time you are accused of burglary or theft. Worst of all, the theft conviction will go on your permanent record and affect your future employment, state licensing and other benefits. When the conviction surfaces, the prospective employer or state official character may judge you as untrustworthy.

How We can Help You

Lavy Law is the law firm to help you win your theft case. As a prior prosecutor who has handled countless theft cases, we have insider’s knowledge on how to get your case dismissed or charges reduced. As a trial attorney who has tried grand theft and auto-theft cases with every kind of defense, we know how to win your case before a judge or jury. As a counselor at law who has helped many kleptomaniacs or people with a compulsion towards theft, we know how to empower them through the process by connecting them with community resources.

Please feel free to read our Recent Cases to see that we have won a case just like your own.

If you are being accused of a theft offense, Contact Us immediately for a free consultation.


[1] A.R. S. §13-1802(G)

[2] A.R.S. §13-1805

[3] A.R. S. §13-1802(G)

[4] A.R. S. §13-1802

[5] A.R. S. §13-1902

[6] A.R.S. §13-1804

[7] A.R.S. §13-1802(A)(2)

[8] Court probation requires you to comply with terms ordered by the judge during a specified time period. The terms differ little from county to county. This probation is also known as informal probation because it is unsupervised- you do not have to report to a probation officer.

[9] A criminal protective order is a court order that prevents a person from coming within a certain distance of a location. If you are found at this location, you are in violation of the order and can be arrested. Police officers have a record of your stay away order in the electronic database in their police cars.

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