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Also known as “Grand Theft,” grand larceny is a serious accusation. And while many people believe it’s not Grand Larceny until many thousands of dollars are at stake, the truth is you can be charged with this crime if you have unauthorized possession of any property with a value higher than $950.

Grand Larceny can be a life-changing conviction even if you face very little jail time. It’s the kind of charge that tends to spook employers when it shows up on a background check. Some employers will give a second chance to someone with a violent assault charge, but not to someone with a theft charge. And some companies won’t even be able to hire you thanks to laws and regulations governing their industry, no matter how much they might want to.

Hiring a private criminal attorney with experience defending Grand Larceny cases in California is your best chance at avoiding a conviction.

What is Grand Larceny?

As mentioned, grand larceny is any theft where the value of the property taken exceeds $950. This can be any kind of property taken for any reason. If you’re stealing farm products, including livestock, you can be charged with Grand Larceny if the value of the property exceeds $250. The same is true for “ocean and agricultural products” taken from a research facility. And stealing a car or a firearm can bring a charge of Grand Larceny whether the actual value of the property exceeded $950 or not.

The method of obtaining the property can vary.

You might hear different terms used for Grand Larceny depending on how it was done.

• Embezzlement, including simply using company money entrusted to you for personal expenses.
• Gaining control over someone else’s property through trickery, also known as fraud.
• The act of physically picking up another person’s property and carrying it off with the intent to steal it: robbery, shoplifting.
• Hiring someone to do a job, then failing to pay them for it: wage theft.

You can also be charged with Grand Larceny if the owner of the property allowed you to have control of that property, but you used the property in a way that was outside the scope of that control. For example, if I lend you my car to run to the store, and you use it to take a day trip out to Vegas, you can be convicted of Grand Theft even if you give the car back.

Contrary to popular belief it’s possible to be charged with Grand Larceny but falsely accused.

And mere control of the property, or possession of it, isn’t always enough to make the case. To prove Grand Larceny has taken place, the prosecution proves there was an intent to steal.

There are all sorts of ways you can end up with the property that doesn’t belong to you without ever intending to steal it. Maybe you went over to your ex’s house to gather your things and took something he or she felt belonged to them, either by mistake or because you thought it was yours. You didn’t intend to steal. If we can demonstrate this, you can’t be convicted, though this doesn’t matter if you stole property that was illegal in the first place.

Vindictive and even just plain wrong accusations do happen. But don’t expect law enforcement or prosecutors to see it just because you said so. Consulting with a highly-qualified private attorney with a track record of successful Grand Larceny defense cases is the best way to guide your case to its best possible outcome.

The Penalties for Grand Larceny

Grand Larceny is known as a “wobbler” crime. In California, a “wobbler” is a crime which can either be tried as a misdemeanor or as a felony. A great deal depends on what you allegedly stole, how much it was worth, and even your criminal history, if any.

Misdemeanors

The penalty for misdemeanor Grand Larceny can be punished with up to one year of jail time. You may also be ordered to pay the plaintiff restitution. Usually, this will equal the amount you stole, but not always.

Stealing a firearm is always a felony, not a misdemeanor, even if the actual value of the firearm is far lower than $950.

Felonies

You can be punished with up to 3 years in jail if you are convicted of Grand Larceny with no additional enhancements. An “enhancement” is any circumstance which increases the severity of the crime and can carry additional penalties.

Common enhancements:

• The value of the property exceeded $65,000. This can add an additional year to your sentence.
• The value of the property exceeded $200,000. This can add an additional two years to your sentence.
• The value of the property exceeded $1,300,000. This can add an additional three years.
• If the value of the property exceeded $3,200,000, you could be looking at an extra 4 years.

Note this isn’t by-the-piece. If you emptied out someone’s Carbon Mesa mansion but somehow ended up without a single piece of property with a value higher than $950 you could still be looking at these enhancements. The court would add up the total value of all the property you stole from that home. If you hit six properties up and down the same street using the same methods, the judge might add up the value of all the property stolen from all six homes.

 

How We Defend You Against Grand Larceny Charges

In general, we can mount four solid defenses against these charges.

• We can try to prove there was no intent to steal.
• We can try to prove the property belonged to you in the first place.
• We can try to prove the person who owned the item did consent to you taking the property, and as far as you knew your use of it was within the boundaries set by the owner.
• If you received the property through an alleged false pretense, we can try to show your statements at the time were true and honest to the best of your ability, and there was no intent to deceive.
• We can try to show you were simply falsely accused, and could not have committed the crime.
• We can try to show the prosecution has insufficient evidence to convict.

Don’t assume all is lost just because you had the piece of property in your possession, or because you got arrested. We’ve helped hundreds of other Los Angeles Residents defend against Grand Larceny charges, and we can help you, too.