Accused of Being Naughty this Year? Don’t Get Stuck with Coal.
Online shopping is the prime method of buying gifts this holiday season and it has become very popular in the past years since it is an easy way to purchase gifts from the comfort of one’s own home. But the efficiency and convenience of online shopping carry risks: Porch pirates.
Studies from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute show that 1.7 million packages are stolen or lost in the US every day, and, during 2020-2021, 1 in 5 Americans reported being victims of porch pirates.
It’s also worth mentioning that theft in the city of Denver reached a five-year high. So, who are ‘porch pirates’? Why are police officers on the lookout for them?
Porch pirates are people who steal packages from other people’s porches.
They often commit these crimes by following delivery trucks to people’s homes and swooping packages before the owner can grab them.
Other times, porch pirates identify packages in plain view and steal them in broad daylight. Many people with doorbell security cameras report seeing porch pirates carrying items such as a toolbox or stack of papers to look like they have a valid reason for approaching someone’s home.
No matter how it’s done, porch piracy is a crime that carries serious consequences.
If you are caught stealing someone’s package, you may get charged with theft, which is defined as knowingly obtaining, retaining, or exercising control over anything of value that belongs to another person without authorization or by threat or deception.
Depending on the value of the reportedly stolen property, you may suffer a host of penalties including, but not limited to:
- Class 1 petty offense: Value of the stolen item is less than $50
- Class 3 misdemeanor: Value of the stolen item is $50 or more but less than $300
- Class 2 misdemeanor: Value of the stolen item is $300 or more but less than $750
- Class 1 misdemeanor: Value of the stolen item is $750 or more but less than $2,000
- Class 6 felony: Value of the stolen item is $2,000 or more but less than $5,000
While these penalties may seem frightening, you may find hope in knowing that your case may be defendable.
Our Denver theft lawyer understands that people make mistakes, ending up in unfavorable situations that require the attention and defense strategies of a skilled attorney.
As such, you can rest assured that we will thoroughly analyze the details of your allegations, hear your side of the story, and explore every legal option before building an aggressive defense on your behalf.
Depending on the circumstances of your alleged theft crime, we may employ the following defense strategies to help get your charges minimized or dropped altogether:
- Mistaken identity
- Claim of ownership
- Intoxication
- Entrapment
- Insanity
- Misvaluation of reportedly stolen property
Gerash Steiner & Blanton, P.C. is dedicated to helping good people resolve tough situations. Thus, we hope to help you put your theft accusations behind you, where they belong. To speak with our Denver defense attorney about your situation, contact us at (303) 732-5048!
GSB STAFF
At Gerash Steiner Blanton P.C., we pride ourselves on providing exceptional legal services to every one of our clients. Our team of experienced attorneys is dedicated to representing individuals and businesses in a wide range of legal matters. We understand that every case is unique and will always provide personalized solutions to meet your immediate legal needs.
Rate this Post
Loading...