What to Do If You Have Been Accused of a Property Crime

What Are Property Crimes?

"Property crime" is a term used to describe a number of crimes relating to the theft or destruction of another person's property, such as vandalism, shoplifting, arson, motor vehicle theft, or larceny. Property crimes are generally divided into two groups: those involving stolen property and those involving destroyed property.

Accusations of fraud or theft are very common in Alabama. At Revill Law Firm, our Birmingham criminal attorneys regularly represent clients in all manner of crimes related to the theft, attempted theft, or damage to property.

Some of the most common charges we defend are:

• Burglary
• Forgery
• Theft
• Sale of Unregistered Securities
• Identity Theft
• Receiving Stolen Property
• Fraudulent Use of a Credit Card

Our attorneys have had theft charges dismissed before trial, and have obtained “not guilty” verdicts after bench trials and jury trials. Hundreds of our clients have been admitted to deferred prosecution or pretrial diversion programs on theft charges as well. A deferred prosecution program often results in a dismissal of the case, making a client eligible for an expungment of their record.

Penalties for Property Crimes

You can’t afford to have a subpar criminal defense team on your side. While punishments are typically not as stiff for property crimes as they are for violent crimes, a conviction for a felony property crime could still result in:

• Sentence to jail or prison
• A lengthy probationary period
• Mandatory community corrections enrollment
• Expensive fines, costs and restitution
• Inability to obtain a good job because of conviction
• Loss of driving privileges
• Loss of the right to vote or carry a firearm