Theft occurs when you knowingly take another person’s property without his/her consent and with the intention of depriving the owner of his/her property permanently. In Illinois, theft crimes are punishable by the value of the stolen property and the circumstances surrounding each case.
The following is a breakdown of the theft crime penalties in Illinois:
- Class A misdemeanor theft – The theft of property worth a maximum of $500 and not stolen from a person is a Class A misdemeanor, which carries a jail sentence of up to less than one year and a maximum fine of $2,500.
- Class 4 felony theft – A Class A misdemeanor theft is elevated to a Class 4 felony theft if the offense occurred in a place of worship or school, the stolen property belonged to the government, or the offender has a previous theft-related conviction on his/her record. A Class 4 felony conviction carries a maximum prison term of three years, a fine of up to $25,000, and victim restitution.
- Class 3 felony theft – A Class 3 felony theft occurs when the stolen property is valued at up to $500 and taken from a person, the offender falsely impersonated a landlord to obtain a rent payment or security deposit of up to $500, or the stolen property is worth between $500 and $10,000 and not taken from a person. A Class 3 felony conviction is punishable by imprisonment for up to five years, a fine of up to $25,000, and victim restitution.
- Class 2 felony theft – The theft of property worth between $10,000 and $100,000 or $5,000 and stolen from an elder victim. Additionally, a Class 3 felony theft is elevated to a Class 2 felony if the offense occurred in a place of worship or school, the stolen property belonged to the government, the defendant falsely impersonated a landlord to obtain a rent payment or security deposit. A Class 2 felony conviction is punishable by imprisonment for up to seven years, a maximum fine of $25,000, and victim restitution.
- Class 1 felony theft – The theft of property worth between $100,000 and $1,000,000. In addition, a Class 2 felony theft is elevated to a Class 1 felony if the offense occurred in a place of worship or school, the stolen property belonged to the government, the defendant falsely impersonated a landlord to obtain a rent payment or security deposit. A Class 1 felony conviction carries a maximum prison sentence of 15 years, a fine of up to $25,000, and victim restitution.
- Class X felony theft – The theft of property worth more than $1,000,000. Furthermore, theft of property worth more than $100,000 is a Class X felony if the offense occurred in a place of worship or school, the stolen property belonged to the government, the defendant falsely impersonated a landlord to obtain a rent payment or security deposit. A Class X felony conviction is punishable by imprisonment of up to 30 years, a maximum fine of $25,000, and restitution.
If you have been accused of theft in Chicago, contact the Law Office of Steven Fine today at (312) 922-0855 and get two decades of criminal defense experience on your side.
