BOSTON CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEYS: THEFT CRIMES
There are various theft crimes that a person can be charged within the state of Massachusetts including larceny, embezzlement and obtaining property by false pretenses. These theft crimes can be either misdemeanors or felonies, and carry a wide range of possible sentences. The sentences depend on many factors including the specific crime committed, the defendant's prior criminal record, if the prior record includes a theft crime, and whether a weapon was involved in the crime in question.
In dealing with these kinds of theft crimes in the past, it was common for problems to arise for the prosecution due to alleging the wrong theft crime. In some cases, due to the seemingly arbitrary differences between the three above listed theft crimes, a prosecution would lose their case entirely by charging the defendant with the incorrect theft crime. Because of this, larceny, embezzlement, and obtaining property under false pretenses were combined under one umbrella crime and called larceny.
Although the three crimes have been combined under one overarching umbrella term, the distinctions between the three are still relevant due to the fact that the prosecutor must prove all of the elements of one of the crimes in order to convict a defendant.
Aside from these three theft crimes, there is an array of other theft-related crimes ranging from burglary to “white collar crimes” such as fraud.
If you have been charged with any theft crime in the state of Massachusetts, it's important to speak with a criminal defense lawyer as soon as possible. Your lawyer could help to reduce your charges and/or reduce your sentence drastically.
