Theft Crimes

In California, as in every other state, it is a crime to steal. California has enacted numerous laws that criminalize stealing (or more accurately, laws that criminalize the wrongful taking of someone else’s property). The penalties for these types of crimes vary, but can include, fines, orders to pay restitution to an alleged victim, restrictive probation terms, court-ordered classes, and can result in significant time behind bars.

For each of these types of crimes, there are a number of possible legal defenses or mitigating factors that can be presented. When properly presented, these legal defenses and/or mitigating factors can sometimes lead to a charge being reduced to a less severe charge, or a more lenient sentence being imposed. In some circumstances, the charges may be dropped all together.

Have You Or A Loved One Been Charged With a Crime?

If you or a loved one has been charged with a crime, it is important to make sure that your rights (or those of your loved-one) are protected. Any criminal conviction can have a severe and far-reaching impact on a person’s future. Criminal convictions can result in expensive fines, orders to pay restitution to an alleged victim, restrictive probation terms, court-ordered classes, and can result in significant time behind bars. In short, a criminal conviction can have devastating and life-long consequences that impact and jeopardize every aspect of a person’s life from future job prospects, to family-life, to a person’s very freedom.

Criminal defense attorney and former Riverside County prosecutor Gregory Rollins uses his unique experience and expertise to defend the rights of the accused and provide meaningful legal advice to his clients. Every client is unique. Each client has different needs. No two cases are exactly the same. Attorney Rollins understands these things and is committed to seeking an outcome in each case that takes into account all of these factors. For every case, Attorney Rollins develops a unique legal strategy that incorporates the needs of the client with the best possible legal defenses to the crimes charged to secure the best possible outcome for every client in every case.

Theft Crime List

Below you will find a list of the more common theft crimes, definitions of each crime and a link to where the definition can be found (the appropriate California Code section), along with the severity and potential maximum exposure of each crime.

Common Theft Related Crimes:

• Burglary (Penal Code § 459)
• Shoplifting (Penal Code § 459.5 or § 490.1)
• Petty Theft (Penal Code § 488)
• Grand Theft (Penal Code § 487)
• Forgery (Penal Code § 470)
• Check Fraud (Penal Code § 476)
• Receiving Stolen Property (Penal Code § 496)
• Possession of Stolen Car (See Penal Code § 496d)
• Embezzlement (Penal Code § 503)
• Extortion (Penal Code § 518)
• Identity Theft (Penal Code § 530.5)
• Theft with Prior Theft Convictions (See Penal Code § 666)
• Vehicle Theft (Vehicle Code § 10851)