Q: I hired a lady from craigslist to clean, she stole over $2500 in valuables plus two CC. What are my options?
I hired a lady from craigslist to clean my apartment in April 2017. She brought a guy with her. During the next couple days I noticed some of my items were missing. My engagement ring and wedding band, a star sapphire ring, 3 pairs of earrings, Ralph Lauren sunglasses, and two credit cards. My credit card companies contacted me about fraudulent charges which I filed to dispute. I made a police report but at the moment was flustered and did not have correct contact info about the lady and was told it would be like finding a "needle in a hay stack". I began to research on my own and placed her phone number off of craigslist into facebook where I was able to find her, and the guy she brought with her into my apartment. I have cc statements that have the location of where the fraudulent charges were charged, Mcdonalds, Walmart, Murphys gas station, etc. all were local charges to my area. Its been 4 months, I wont get my stuff back but can they be charged for theft still?
A: If they entered your home with the intent to commit theft, they could be charged with Burglary of a Habitation. Otherwise, it is a simple Theft case and the range of punishment would depend upon the value of the property stolen. The items you described, put them well in the State Jail Felony range of punishment. They could also be pursued for Credit/Debit Card Abuse for unlawfully using your credit card. You will need to contact a local police agency to file a report and follow-up on a case filing. Sounds like you have done a lot of the investigation yourself; make sure you provide this to the police department. To learn more about these offenses, visit: https://www.versustexas.com/criminal/state-crimes/misdemeanors/theft/
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