Criminal Sentencing in Illinois

 Posted on May 03, 2013 in Theft

Different crimes have different punishments. Below are some of the punishments for different types of criminal convictions related to theft.

Theft

This includes previous theft, armed robbery, possession of a burglary tool, home invasion, residential burglary, burglary, forgery, and “certain motor vehicle felonies relating to the possession of a stolen or converted motor vehicle or section 8 of Credit Card and Debit Card Act.” This does not include theft from a person and nothing that is above $300. This will result in 1 to 3 years of jail time or up to 18 months of a discharge with conditions or 180 days in jail with probation. A fine may also be charged of up to $25,000.

Tampering with or Theft of Communication Services

This covers if a wired communication service or device has been tampered with or stolen, and the defendant has also been convicted of another theft type of theft as listed above, or of fraud, which includes any violations of the Cable Communications Policy Act of 1984 in any federal or state jurisdiction. This crime will result in 1 to 3 years of jail or 18 months of discharge with conditions or 180 days in jail with probation. It may also include a fine of up to $25,000.

If the defendant has previously been convicted on at least two occasions for similar crimes, it can result in two to five years in jail, or up to 30 months of discharge with conditions, or 180 days in jail with probation and a fine of up to $25,000.

Retail Theft

If the value of the stolen merchandise is under $300 or $150 in motor fuel, but the thief has previously been convicted of theft, it may result in 1 to 3 years in jail or up to 18 months of discharge under conditions or 180 days in jail with probation and a fine of up to $25,000.

If the thief escaped by an emergency exit, but the merchandise still does not exceed $300 and the thief has been convicted of a previous theft, the person could face a fine of up to $25,000 along with 1 to 3 years of jail time, or 180 days of jail with probation or up to 18 months of restrictive discharge.

If you have been accused of a crime, contact a Rolling Meadows criminal attorney before proceeding any further. Christopher M. Cosley can help you avoid criminal charges.