Theft Crimes | Orange County Criminal Defense Blog

Being accused of shoplifting is a frightening experience, even if you have not been charged with a crime yet. You may walk around with the fear that one day the police will show up at your home or work and slap handcuffs on your wrists. You may wait weeks, months, or even years before being charged with a theft crime, but it is never too late to start working on your defense. In some cases, you may even be surprised to discover that you have passed the statute of limitations for a shoplifting charge.

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Given how often each of us loses our keys or phones in our own homes, it is just as easy to lose something at a shop, café, or bar around Orange County. Who hasn’t had to ask a cashier or manager to check the lost and found? But on the opposite side of this issue is what you should do when you find lost property. While you may think of the children’s saying “Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers” when you find a random wallet or phone on the ground, you do have a legal responsibility to contact the owner.

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Swap meets are extremely popular across Orange County and some people even make a decent living traveling across the Southwest to various meets to sell handmade goods. While many swap meets host a lively community of artists and craftsmen, it is not uncommon to see unpackaged goods at these events. Some may be perfectly legitimate third-party retailers and dealers selling wholesale products, but there is the real possibility that they are peddling stolen goods.

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If you’ve made a mistake and committed a crime, all is not lost. Humans make mistakes, and our California legal system has provisions that give a person a second chance. There may still be consequences, but they will probably be less severe if you have an experienced legal advocate on your side.

Take the case of a woman who formerly served as president of Garden Grove Little League. Read the rest »

As you may know, California differentiates theft into two categories: petty and grand. Petty theft is usually theft of property under $950 (with specific exceptions to this rule) and grand usually refers to theft over $950.

Petty theft may sound small, but the consequences are not. In fact, there are different scenarios when the penalties are increased. Let’s take a look at different California codes and how they punish petty theft violations. Read the rest »

It’s that time of year again. Friends and family are descending upon local shopping centers to get the best deals and terrorize the seasonal hires. It also when the same department and big box stores ramp up their security in hopes of nabbing would be thieves. Yes, it’s shoplifting season again, and you’d better watch out. Otherwise you might be taking a sleigh ride down to the police station. Read the rest »

It’s that time of year again. When bargain hunters hit the streets searching for that perfect discount. While these eagle-eyed shoppers are active throughout the year, post-Black Friday deals are their time to shine. No, we’re not talking about your coupon-cutting grandmother or your fanatical aunt who camps out for the latest holiday item. We’re talking about porch pirates, thieves who exploit a weakness in the delivery process. Those people who wait for the UPS man to drop your package off, and then apply the five-finger discount, walking away with whatever you just had delivered.   Read the rest »

It’s probably safe to say that at some point or another, we have all taken something from our job. Nothing major of course. We’re not talking about full-fledged embezzlement or corporate espionage here. No, we’re talking about the items that are almost always tied to the phrase – “Who will notice it is missing?” Think along the lines of a stapler or a box of pens, maybe even a few bucks from the petty cash box located in the boss’s desk drawer. Naturally, there are those among us who wouldn’t even think about treading along that slippery slope, but many people – including your own co-workers, friends and family – are currently stealing from their employer. Read the rest »

Here’s a scene you might be familiar with: you’ve just exited the grocery store and you are heading home for dinner with the family. In the rush to get out of the parking lot you back into a cement barrier next to your car, scraping up the bumper and potentially denting the body of your car. Great. Now what? You weigh all the options and ultimately decide you’ll contact your insurance company and report the damage as a hit and run. Who’s going to know the difference? You’ve even gone so far as to look for any cameras lurking around the area in which you parked – all clear. So you make the call and report the damage to your insurance agent. After all, you pay a lot of money for your insurance, why no use it when you need it? Read the rest »

Newport Beach, CA — You wouldn’t necessarily think that a cheating scandal at a high school would lead to criminal charges being filed. However, over the past year local news outlets have been reporting on the fraud and burglary case against tutor Timothy Lance Lai, 29, who has been accused of taking illegal measures to help students at Corona del Mar High School break into the school’s grading system and alter their grades.

The case first came to light in the summer of 2013 when a teacher discovered that someone had changed several students’ grades in the computer system. Over the course of the investigation, Lai as reportedly named as having a part in the scheme by students who were interviewed by school administrators.

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