Theft

Burglary charges are oftentimes misunderstood. Burglary generally refers to when a person illegally enters another person’s property with intent to commit a crime. Breaking into another’s property alone is not enough to charge someone with burglary. If it cannot be proven that the person intended to commit another crime on the property or inside the […]

One of the most common crimes in the United States is retail theft, and while it may seem like a victimless crime, it is not. According to the National Retail Federation, inventory shrinkage due to theft or shoplifting cost American retailers nearly $49 billion in 2016. Many retailers have made retail theft a priority of

Shoplifting is often seen as a minor criminal offense by the general public. Many adults remember attempting to steal a candy bar as a child or know somebody who has swiped a lipstick or two from a drug store. These instances of theft may seem harmless, but stealing is not a victimless crime. Retail stores

When you are short on cash, shoplifting or retail theft can be very tempting. After all, stores have to expect some percentage of losses. A lot of merchandise simply gets damaged by careless employees or clumsy shoppers. And, when a store expects you to scan your own purchases, it is hardly your fault when the

In Illinois, law enforcement officials and prosecutors have the right to upgrade charges against a defendant if their alleged crime rises to or exceeds certain thresholds defined in the state’s criminal code. One common example of charges which may be upgraded occurs when an offense crosses the line between misdemeanor shoplifting and felony theft. Smart

Shoplifting can be detrimental to business owners, as billions of dollars’ worth of merchandise are stolen from retail stores every year. Often, the holiday season is the time of year when shoplifting is especially problematic. In a season that lasts just over a month, shoplifters cost retail stores approximately $6 billion. The toll is especially

During the holiday shopping season, the stores are filled with people looking for gifts and spending plenty of money. However, this is also the time of year when store owners must deal with more incidents of retail theft committed by their own employees. Loss Prevention Efforts Reports indicate that many large retailers have cut back

In an ideal world, nobody would be above the law. Our world, of course, is not perfect, and many individuals—especially business leaders and politicians—seem to get away with things that the average citizen would not. For at least one former Illinois state representative, however, this does not appear to be the case, as she is

An individual charged with shoplifting may later learn they are facing a much more serious felony charge. How did this happen? What should you do? Illinois statutes lay out in detail the difference between theft and retail theft, and within the laws are provisions that allow for prosecutors to upgrade charges from misdemeanor shoplifting to

In a recent post on this blog, we talked a little bit about the differences between two common types of property crimes—specifically the offenses of theft and robbery. That post also made reference to a third offense that is often lumped in with the other two despite being rather different. The crime of burglary is