Clarksville Theft Crimes Lawyer

What is a Theft Crime?

Theft crimes are criminal offenses that involve stealing something that belongs to someone else. In the state of Tennessee, the offense of "theft" is generally divided into two separate categories—theft of property and theft of services.

Types of Theft Crimes

It is important to note that the basic offense of theft has been consolidated to also include the crimes of embezzlement, fraudulent conversion, concealing stolen property and other similar offenses.

Additional categories of theft crimes can include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Burglary
• Robbery
• Aggravated Robbery
• Carjacking

Contact us to get the defense process started! Call (931) 398-5308 to speak with a qualified defense attorney confidentially.

Theft of Property vs Theft of Services

A person commits theft when he or she knowingly takes or exercises control over someone else's property without the owner's consent, particularly when he or she intends to deprive the owner of that property, according to Tennessee law. Theft of services occurs when a person obtains services without paying for them.

This can be done in several ways, including the following: using fraud or other deceptive measures to obtain the services without paying for them; abusing one's position of control over the disposal of services in order to illegitimately benefit oneself or others; or receiving services and then sneaking out of the establishment where the services were rendered (such as a hotel or restaurant) in order to avoid payment. The seriousness of a basic theft conviction depends on the value of the property or services that were stolen.

Theft offenses are classified in the following way:

• Class A misdemeanor for a value of $500 or less
• Class E felony for a value of $500 to $1,000
• Class D felony for a value of $1,000 to $10,000
• Class C felony for a value of $10,000 to $60,000
• Class B felony for a value of $60,000 to $250,000
• Class A felony for a value of $250,000 or more

What are the Penalties For Theft Crimes?

Theft crimes in Tennessee can result in serious penalties, so anyone accused of such an offense should immediately talk to a knowledgeable lawyer. Convictions for basic theft and other types of theft crimes can result in damaging penalties such as jail time, prison time and expensive fines. At Jeff Grimes & Associates, PLLC, we have skilled Clarksville criminal defense lawyers who are prepared to handle all types of theft offenses.

Get Help from an Experienced Criminal Lawyer in Clarksville, TN

A strong theft crime attorney can help you implement a solid criminal defense plan so that you can potentially avoid conviction and the penalties you are facing. For example, it might be possible to show that your charges stemmed from mistaken identity, that you had consent from the owner to take the property, or simply that there is not enough evidence to prove your guilt.