Maryland Criminal Defense Lawyers for Shoplifting and Theft Charges

Theft is when someone is accused of purposefully taking someone’s property without their knowledge or consent, or through deception or threats in order to deny what is rightfully theirs.  

In the state of Maryland, there is a wide range of offenses that are classified as theft crimes. These generally include: 

• Embezzlement: Stealing from your employer;
• False pretenses: Tricking someone into giving you their money or goods; 
• Larceny: Stealing someone’s “personal property;” 
• Receiving stolen property: Accepting products or cash that you know or had reason to suspect was stolen, even if you didn’t personally commit the actual theft; and 
• Shoplifting: Stealing goods from a store or other retail location. 

As for the differences between theft, burglary, and robbery – it’s a matter of degree. 

In Maryland, burglary is usually reserved for those caught breaking and entering into a place with the intent to commit a crime – either theft or something else.  

Note that an actual crime beyond basically trespassing does not have to occur for burglary charges to be pressed. All law enforcement needs is the suspicion that the individual was trying to do something illegal to file burglary allegations. 

Theft is charged when someone really does steal something – but without force. 

If an item or asset is taken from another through force or threat of violence, then robbery charges are filed. 

Yes – Maryland has different “grades” of theft charges, depending on what was taken and how much it was worth. In general, the more you take, the worse the type of theft charge with the greater consequences. 

Maryland theft charges can be classified as: 

• Petty theft: Property under $100 in value was taken. 
• Misdemeanor theft: Property under $1,000 was taken. 
• Felony theft: Property under $100,000 was taken. 

The type of good stolen can also impact the charges filed against a defendant. For example: 

• Stealing a car could result in motor vehicle theft charges; 
• Stealing money from an employer could mean embezzlement charges; and 
• Using someone else’s personal information or credit card data could lead to identity theft charges. 

All of these are types of theft, but Maryland treats them differently from “regular” theft cases due to the circumstances and the type of good stolen. 

As the amount of property stolen increases, so, too, do Maryland sentences for theft. 

• Petty theft: Punishable by up to 90 days in jail and up to $500 in fines. 
• Misdemeanor theft: Punishable by up to 18 months in jail and a $500 fine. 
• Felony theft: Punishable by up to 25 years in prison and a $25,000 fine. 

In Maryland, the statute of limitations to bring theft cases to court is two years. So, it’s possible that a business may wait until an alleged thief steals enough to make a theft conviction a misdemeanor before pressing charges. 

As black and white as theft cases can initially seem to the public – and to prosecutors – there’s often a lot more going on behind the scenes that can lead people to steal. 

Many Maryland judges give harsh sentences on theft cases. So, it’s important for a criminal defense lawyer to expose the judge to the problems in the defendant’s life: Drug use, personal problems, and financial issues.

Many of these cases are won long before the case even starts, because your lawyer has done their homework! Many are very difficult to prove by the state unless there is forensic evidence such as fingerprints, DNA, or eyewitnesses.  

For example, JC Law has handled thousands of shoplifting cases. Most of them are “suicide by shoplifting,” because many shoplifters aren’t doing it for profit. They are in very stressful situations in their lives, and shoplifting is a call for help, whether they realize it or not.  

Many stay-at-home moms go through this, as well as high-powered executives. Even high-profile athletes and politicians steal.  

Often, these accused defendants don’t really want or need the stuff. At least 70% of the people we see charged with shoplifting have money in their pocket and can pay for the items they allegedly stole. 

Instead, it’s about the thrill of getting away with the crime. It serves as a temporary release from what’s going on in their lives. The theft is rarely thought out or analyzed by the defendant, but it becomes a habit or a dare in their lives – even an addiction.  

We also see people who are “boosting” simply to get money to buy drugs or other items on a daily basis. Many drug addicts are caught shoplifting quite a few times, and it becomes their way of life until the addiction and their underlying psychological problems are taken care of. 

In cases like these, a good criminal defense team will help a prosecutor or judge understand that the best way to help an individual isn’t to put them behind bars, but to help them deal with the foundational issues that caused the alleged crime in the first place. 

There are other ways to defend a Maryland theft case, of course, but without knowing the details of a specific situation, it’s hard to say what would be most effective in any particular case.  

If you want to know more about possible defenses for your situation, take advantage of JC Law’s free initial consultation program to see what you can do to best help your case and how we might approach your matter.