Jacksonville Criminal Defense Attorney Blog
St. Johns County police have released surveillance video and are looking for two men accused of stealing flat-screen televisions from a local store Police said two men entered the Walmart about 1 a.m. and then loaded up a shopping cart with four flat-screen televisions, according to a report on News4Jax. When one of the men was stopped by an employee and asked to provide a receipt, he handed the worker the receipt and kept walking, the television station reported. After the worker realized the receipt was for food and not for the four televisions, she went to the parking lot and saw the men driving off with the televisions in the back of a pick-up truck, the television station reported.
Police issued descriptions of the men and the truck in this St. Johns County Theft Case. If the suspects are eventually caught, they will almost certainly be facing felony charges. In St. Johns County Theft Cases, the severity of the charges – and the potential prison time on the table – is based primarily on the value of the property the person is accused of taking. The key threshold in St. Johns County Theft Cases is $300. If the property is question is valued at less than $300, the charge is a misdemeanor. In St. Johns County Misdemeanor Cases, there is no possibility of state prison – only a maximum of a year in county jail. But, once the value crosses $300, the crime can be charged as a felony. Grand Theft is a third-degree felony with a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
One issue that could be of interest if charges are filed is just how many charges are filed. In all likelihood, each of the televisions is worth more than $300. But the act itself was one theft that happened to net four televisions – as opposed to four separate incidents with one television each. That sounds like splitting hairs, but four charges with a maximum of five years on each charge is significantly different from just one charge.
Our St. Johns County Theft Attorney will thoroughly investigate the case against you or your loved one and provide you with the information you need to make the best decision on how to move forward in the case.
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 St. Johns County Theft Attorney, Victoria “Tori” Mussallem, is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.