Articles Posted in Theft

Theft crime is a group of crimes encompassing everything from shoplifting to burglary to embezzlement. All of the criminal acts under this term are centered on taking something that doesn’t belong to you. Under Illinois criminal statutes, theft occurs when an individual takes unauthorized control over property of another obtains control over property of another…

From neighborhood convenience stores to chain supermarkets to high-end retailers downtown, Chicago businesses of all kinds are being hit hard by shoplifting. Retail theft crimes can affect these businesses in a big way, hurting profits, shrinking product inventory, and increasing production costs. In response to rising rates of shoplifting in our city, retailers and law…

The Chicago Public School system has recently come under scrutiny after a joint investigation revealed a string of employee thefts. The investigation found that a Chicago Public School operations employee and four accomplices may have stolen over $870,000 from two public high schools during the years 2009 through 2014. According to reports, the five men…

1 in 11 Americans (approximately 27 million Americans) – no matter how poor or wealthy they are – takes goods from the store shelves and “forgets” to pay for them. Shoplifting is a national epidemic that’s costing the economy more than $100 million each day, with most criminals getting away: shoplifters say they are caught…

Statistically, there’s a good chance that you didn’t buy the pen in your purse or jacket pocket, but took it from work. People take things from work all the time, either intentionally or not. Most don’t really think about such pilfering as theft, rationalizing that it’s one of the “benefits” that come with the job,…

What would you think if you heard someone who had stolen a car say, “It’s not my fault—my brain made me do it.” While it might sound absurd when phrased that way, that essential argument is one that is being used in more and more criminal defense cases across the country. We’ve all heard of…

For most Americans, Christmas presents are found in Santa Claus’s generous bag or, at least, in the wallets of their friends and family. Some people, however, decide to take matters into their own hands and simply steal the goods they want to find under the tree on Christmas Eve. One in every eleven people who…

A Chicago man was recently arrested for theft when he attempted to use an allegedly stolen credit card to purchase items. Though it was not known if the man had yet retained the services of an accomplished Chicago theft lawyer, it behooves anyone who does face a charge of theft to contact a defense attorney…

The scenario is fairly standard: The police apprehend a suspect, the suspect is charged with theft, and the suspect then hires an attorney before appearing in a Chicago court. However, in a recent case, the script seemed to have been rewritten and a veteran of the Chicago police force was put on leave after being…

A 28-year-old was recently charged with retail theft after two touch screen tablets and gym shoes were found in his car. According to police, all of the merchandise was returned to the stores from which they were allegedly stolen. If you have been arrested for retail theft in Chicago, a criminal defense attorney should be…