Illinois Football Players Charged with Theft

 Posted on June 25,2018 in Theft

Two University of Illinois football players are currently in the news for more than their football skills. The two linebackers for the Illini stole a deer sculpture from a local park. The pairis being charged with theft with a value between $500 and $10,000.

The two allegedly saw the sculpture on the ground when they were walking home, according to CBS Sports. The deer, named “Startled,” is estimated to be worth $5,000. After taking the sculpture from the park, the two football players placed the deer on their rooftop. The park district director says that steps and measures have been taken so that the deer cannot be placed on any other rooftops throughout the city.

Theft in Illinois

Overall, a theft charge is a serious offense that must be treated as such. Illinois law defines theft as when a person knowingly:

1. Takes control of the property of another without proper authorization;
2. Uses deception to obtain control of another’s property;
3. Uses threat to obtain control over another’s property
4. Takes control of property knowing that it has been stolen or should have known that the property was stolen given the circumstances; or
5. Takes control of property that is in the possession or custody of law enforcement, a person who is acting on behalf of law enforcement that informs the person that the property was stolen or makes it known that the property was stolen.

To determine the seriousness of the theft, the statute points to two factors that are considered. These are:

1. From where the property was taken; and
2. The value of the property.

Property stolen from a person’s physical person is generally given a harsher penalty. However, property that is stolen from land or the property of another, while still serious, has the lesser of penalties.

The higher the value of property stolen, the harsher the classification and sentence a theft charge carries. A theft can be either a misdemeanor or a felony. According to the Illinois statute, a theft of items that are worthmore than $500, but less than $10,000, is a Class 3 felony. The above deer theft carries a penalty ranging anywhere from probation to five years in prison.

Contact Us Today for Help

If you have been charged with a theft crime in Illinois, The Law Offices of Christopher M. Cosley can help you. The dedicated Rolling Meadows criminal defense attorneyat our office will provide you with insight, guidance, and advice on how to proceed in your case. Contact us today for a consultation; we are eager to assist you throughout each step of your case.

Sources:

https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/two-illinois-football-players-charged-with-theft-for-stealing-a-deer-statue/

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=072000050K16-1