As discussed in further detail on this page, Virginia distinguishes between several types of theft charges, including petit larceny, grand larceny, and auto theft. Depending on the charge, you could be facing different penalties. A Virginia theft lawyer answers some questions about the penalties associated with different larceny and theft-related charges.
A misdemeanor larceny conviction is a class 1 misdemeanor in Virginia and carries up to 12 months in jail, up to a $2500 in fines, or a combination thereof. There may also be restitution involved in a misdemeanor larceny offense meaning that the person has to pay back the value of the items taken or the value of the money or pay for damages if property was damaged during the larceny offense. There may also be no trespass provisions if they entered property, such as a business or home as a special condition of any punishment of larceny offense.
There will also be probationary period for someone who is found guilty of larceny offense in Virginia. The type of probation and whether it is supervised depends on the jurisdiction.There may be a special condition of probation requiring that completion of a shoplifting awareness or crime awareness as part of probation. This lets the person know how their larceny offense affects the community around them.
First of all, a felony larceny conviction is just like any other felony conviction. The person will lose certain rights—including the right to vote, the right to own or possess a firearm, and potentially other rights as it applies to certain federal programs.
Most felony larceny offenses in Virginia are unclassified felonies, meaning it’s not in the class 1-6, it’s a special common law type of felony that has its own special punishment depending on the severity of the crime. The most common felony larceny punishment is grand larceny, an offense punishable by 1-20 in the state penitentiary or in the court’s discretion up to 12 months in jail and up to $2500 in fine or a combination thereof.
Well, certainly in the long term having a felony conviction on one’s record is very negative if that type of background check is going to be on any job application. It may damage immigration status. As far as special implications for larceny convictions, there are certain categories of crimes known as crimes of moral turpitude, of which larceny is one. In general, those crimes of moral turpitude are crimes involving lying, cheating, stealing, or fraud and larceny falls within that realm. The crime of moral turpitude genre is especially troublesome for immigration status, federal security clearance, and employment with federal, state, and local government entities.
Northern Virginia Criminal Defense Group
