Theft Crimes in Maryland

Criminal Defense Lawyer Serving Hagerstown,
Silver Spring, & Frederick

Theft crimes are essentially crimes that involve intentionally taking someone else's property without their permission. The general theft provisions under Maryland law define theft in a number of ways.

Here are few of the many ways that a person can commit theft, according to the Md. Criminal Law Code Ann. §7-104:

• Obtaining or exerting unauthorized control over someone else's property
• Using deception to obtain unauthorized control over someone else's property
• Possessing stolen personal property
• Obtaining control over property that one knows was lost, mislaid or incorrectly delivered
• Using deception to obtain services that are only available for compensation; or using someone else's services without the consent of the provider

These offenses involve knowingly taking the property or services for the purpose of depriving the owner of his or her property, or in a matter that leads to the same result. The penalties for general theft offense depend on the value of the stolen property or services, with higher values typically leading to harsher penalties. Depending on the circumstances of the offense, the crime could be considered a misdemeanor or a felony.

In addition to general theft, there are also many specific types of theft crimes that a person can be charged with. A few of these include the following:

• Burglary
• Robbery
• Motor vehicle theft

Why do I need a criminal defense attorney?

There are many people who are falsely accused of crimes or who are faced with excessive charges. These individuals need strong legal advocates to help them stand up for their rights in the courtroom. There are various defenses that can be used in theft crime cases, such as the fact that the owner actually provided permission to the defendant who took the property or services, the fact that the defendant did not intentionally take the property or services, or the fact that the evidence being used by prosecutors is flawed in some way.