Theft, robbery, and larceny—these are all different words to describe the basic crime of taking something that doesn’t belong to you. Under the laws we inherited from England, all theft was considered as larceny. In some states, the term larceny gave way to theft. In Michigan, however, theft is still called larceny. What makes larceny and theft different from robbery in Michigan’s criminal statutes is that robbery involves the use or threat of force.
There are several categories of larceny, whose penalties range from moderate to severe.
What the Law Says About Larceny
Michigan Penal Code § 750.356 defines larceny as the act of stealing any of the following things that belong to another:
- Money, goods, or possessions
- Bank notes, bank bills, bonds, promissory notes, due bills of exchange
- Books of account
- Deeds and other writings of conveyance
- Receipts, releases, and defeasances
- Writes, processes, or public records
- Scrap metal
Larceny as a Felony
If the value of the thing stolen is greater than $20,000, or if this is the third offense, the larceny is considered as a felony punishable by up to ten years imprisonment and/or a fine of $15,000 or three times the value of the stolen property—whichever is greater.
If the thing stolen has a value between $1,000 and $20,000, or after the second offense of misdemeanor larceny involving property over $200, prosecutors will charge a felony punishable by up to five years of imprisonment and/or a $10,000 fine or three times the value of the of the stolen property—whichever is greater. The penalty applies for larceny from an automobile or other vehicle—regardless of the value of the things stolen.
Larceny as a Misdemeanor
If the theft involves property worth between $200 or $1,000, or if this is a second offense of the following section, the larceny is a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year of imprisonment and/or a $2,000 fine or three times the value of the stolen property—whichever is greater.
When the thing stolen is worth less than $200, the larceny is considered a misdemeanor punishable by 93 days of imprisonment and/or a fine of $500 or three times the value of the property—whichever is greater.
Civil Liability
Under the laws of criminal restitution, anyone convicted of larceny may be liable to compensate the victim for his or her monetary losses resulting from the theft. This applies in addition to the fines and jail time. Thus, if you steal an object worth $500.00 and it is not returned to the victim, you may be liable to pay the victim $500.00—in addition to the $2,000 fine for committing misdemeanor larceny.
When it comes to theft from retail stores, specific civil liability rules apply. Even if the property stolen is of negligible value, the person charged may have to restitute the store owner for ten times the retail price of the property, in an amount not less than $50 and not more than $200. Navigating both criminal penalties and civil liability makes having a Detroit larceny lawyer essential.
