New York City Larceny Defense Lawyer

What Should You Do if You Are Arrested for Larceny in New York?

Maybe you just forgot to pay for something small and walked straight out of the store. Maybe you desperately needed some food for your children when you had no money. Regardless of the circumstances that led to you taking something without paying for it, you have since found yourself in the back of a police vehicle and facing charges for larceny.

According to New York Penal Code 155.05, “A person steals property and commits larceny when, with intent to deprive another of property to appropriate the same to himself or to a third person, he wrongfully takes, obtains or withholds such property from an owner thereof.” By definition, larceny encompasses a broad range of actions and can be committed in any of the following ways:

• Tricking, embezzling, or obtaining false pretenses
• Acquiring lost property
• Issuing a bad check
• Making a false promise
• Engaging in extortion

Arrested and charged with larceny: What should you do? First and foremost, align yourself with a defense lawyer as soon as possible. Early legal intervention is often the best way to reduce the serious consequences that come with a conviction.

About Your Larceny Charges

In New York, larceny can be classified as a misdemeanor or a felony. The severity of your larceny charges will depend on the total value of the items stolen.

Charges and subsequent penalties for larceny crimes in New York are as follows:

• Petit Larceny: Also referred to as ‘petty theft,’ this is the lowest level theft offense and is classified as a Class A misdemeanor. It applies to cases in which no more than $1,000 worth of property or services was taken unlawfully. If convicted, the defendant could face up to $1,000 in fines and a maximum 1 year of imprisonment.
• Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree: This is a Class E felony and is applied to cases in which the total value of property and services stolen exceeds $1,000. If convicted, the defendant could face up to $5,000 in fines (or double the amount of what they gained through the theft) and a maximum 4-year prison sentence.
• Grand Larceny in the Third Degree: This is a Class D felony and is applied to cases in which the total value of property and services stolen exceeds $3,000. If convicted, the defendant could face up to $5,000 in fines (or double the amount of what they gained through the theft) and a maximum 7-year prison sentence.
• Grand Larceny in the Second Degree: This is a Class C felony and is applied to cases in which the total value of property and services stolen exceeds $50,000. If convicted, the defendant could face up to $15,000 in fines and a maximum 15-year prison sentence.
• Grand Larceny in the First Degree: This is a Class B felony and is applied to cases in which the total value of property and services stolen exceeds $1 million. If convicted, the defendant could face up to $30,000 in fines and a maximum 25-year prison sentence.

When facing larceny charges, you will be at a serious disadvantage without an attorney by your side. This is why you should hire our NYC larceny defense lawyer to fight your charges. Attorney Yifei He has successfully handled criminal cases ranging from the simple misdemeanor to the more serious felony charges, and he is prepared to do the same for your theft case.

Depending on the severity of your charges, Attorney Yifei He may be able to get you acquitted with no jail time and no criminal record. However, your chances at this type of successful result hinges on early legal involvement, so do not wait to contact our firm for help.

Call us at 1-917-338-7678 or contact us online to schedule a free, confidential consultation.