Michigan Criminal Lawyers Blog
According to Ann Arbor news two attempted Michigan home invasions occurred this past Tuesday morning, putting residents on alert for future incidents. Fortunately no one was injured.
In one alleged attempt, a 21-year-old man was in is bedroom when another man tried to remove his window air conditioner. When confronted, the alleged perpetrator ran away. He was described as 20 years old, 6 feet tall, 175, black and wearing dark pants and a varsity jacket. In the other attempted home invasion, a woman contacted 911 after observing a man try to pry open a rear screen door. After the woman confronted him he ran away. No description was provided.
If you are under investigation for or have been arrested for a property or theft crime it is important to contact an experienced Michigan criminal defense lawyer at once to begin preparing your defense.
Property crimes fall into a number of categories and the defense, as well as potential penalties, vary based on how these crimes are charged.
Under Michigan law, theft and property crimes include theft, grand theft, home invasion, burglary, larceny and embezzlement. Petty theft includes those situations where an individual takes another’s property against their will with the intent to permanently deprive them of that property. To qualify as “petty theft” the amount of property taken will generally not exceed $1000 and is typically charged as a misdemeanor crime
Penalties for theft of property under $200 include:
• Jail time – 93 days or less
• Fines – $500 or less, or three times the value stolen
Theft of property over $1000 becomes grand theft or larceny and may subject an individual to felony charges.
Michigan burglary charges stem from allegations that individuals were “breaking and entering” a build with intent to commit a crime. The underlying crime may be theft, but not necessary. Breaking into a residence constitutes “residential burglary” and breaking into a building may be considered “commercial burglary.”
Penalties for burglaries are much more severe – with individuals who break into buildings potentially subject to felony punishments including jail time not to exceed 10 years. If weapons or firearms are involved, penalties may be enhanced, with potential sentences of 20 years and larger fines.
You need to speak to an experienced Michigan burglary defense lawyer if facing the more serious charges of burglary. Many times when charges of theft are based solely on eye-witness testimony, a knowledgeable Michigan criminal defense law firm can poke hole at the descriptions – key aspects of the individual arrested and charged may not match the testimony given by the eye witness.
Another “theft related” crime includes Michigan embezzlement – typically a situation where an individual entrusted with money or personal property of another – such as that of a business or governmental agency – allegedly converts to his or her own use the property of another for his or her own personal use.
Often, by using the skills of an embezzlement defense lawyer such as Grabel & Associates who has an accounting background we can discover defects in relevant accounting system and get charges reduce or eliminated.
Our experienced Michigan theft and property crimes attorneys can provide you with the valuable legal techniques to provide an aggressive defense against any theft crime you are charged with.
For more information or to speak with a skilled criminal defense lawyer, contact Grabel & Associates for prompt, experienced attention.