Cleveland, OH asked in Criminal Law for Ohio

Q: My sister was charge with theft for $4,000, but her indictment paper say $7,500. What can she do to get the amount drop.

The person who she took the money from wrote a statement, saying it was only $4000

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1 Lawyer Answer
Matthew Williams
Matthew Williams
Answered
  • Criminal Law Lawyer
  • Cleveland, OH
  • Licensed in Ohio

A: Your sister needs to get an attorney. There probably is not an error on the indictment here. Most likely you are simply misunderstanding. The prosecutors quote statutorily language on those things which has a range for thefts which determines the level of the offense. If the property stolen was worth anywhere between $1,000 and $7,500, its a fifth degree felony. It's likely the indictment is simply reciting the statutory amount here. Of course, if there is a genuine disagreement concerning the amount, that needs to be addressed as restitution will be an issue down the road. It is really important to get counsel for theft cases. Folks do not realize how much difficulty a theft conviction will cause them in finding work, and it is often possible, even if you are 100% guilty, to avoid conviction on such an offense.

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