Jacksonville Criminal Defense Attorney Blog
Police are looking for a woman accused of stealing a wallet from another woman in a store. Clay County deputies are asking for the public’s help identifying the woman by using surveillance photographs taken from inside the store, according to a report on News4Jax. Police said the wallet was stolen from inside a purse and the woman’s credit card was used at several locations to buy more than $1,000 worth of merchandise, the television station reported.
In this Clay County Theft Case, police have the benefit of photos that can be used to identify the suspect, assuming she is eventually identified and charged with a crime. The woman could be facing a variety of different charges. In Clay County Theft Cases, the charges and potential penalties are based on the value of the property the suspect is accused of stealing. In this Clay County Theft Case, the woman could be charged with the initial theft of the purse, and could face additional penalties because the person she is accused of stealing from is older than 65. In Florida, when a person is accused of theft from the elderly, there is an additional provision that requires the defendant, if convicted, to pay the victim the value of what was stolen and perform up to 500 hours of community service. That is on top of any potential penalties for the theft, which if the value is less than $10,000, is a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in state prison.
When it comes to the use of the fraudulent card, the rules are slightly different. It is a third-degree felony to use a credit card that a person knows is stolen. In this Clay County Theft Case, the woman is accused of using the card at several different stores. Typically in these cases, it is one charge for the fraudulent use of the card if it is one spree, as appears to be the case here. The penalties are different than if a person is accused of simply taking the merchandise from the store. If the property is values at less than $100, the charge is a second degree misdemeanor with a maximum penalty of six months in jail. If the value is between $100 and $300, the charge bumps up to a first-degree misdemeanor and the maximum penalty is one year in the county jail. When the value gets to be more than $300, that’s when the charge becomes a felony. Our Clay County Theft Attorney has experience representing people on a range of theft charges, from petit theft on up to serious felonies.
If you or a loved one needs a criminal defense attorney in Jacksonville or the surrounding area, call The Mussallem Law Firm at (904) 365-5200 for a FREE CONSULTATION. Our Clay County Theft Attorney, Victoria “Tori” Mussallem, is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.