In the State of Georgia there are a variety of  laws punishing various kinds of theft. Sometimes Federal Laws could come into play. Punishments vary depending on the monetary value of the alleged stolen goods, and you may be charged with a felony or misdemeanor and have to serve a jail or prison term and pay expensive monetary fines.

Theft crimes may include any of the following:

Theft by shoplifting
Theft by taking
Theft by receiving
Theft by conversion
Receiving stolen property
Listed below are various Georgia theft related codes, which may provide you with some information:

According to Georgia Code § 16-8-2 “A person commits the offense of theft by taking when he unlawfully takes or, being in lawful possession thereof, unlawfully appropriates any property of another with the intention of depriving him of the property, regardless of the manner in which the property is taken or appropriated.”

Georgia Code § 16-8-2 16-8-4 (a) states that “A person commits the offense of theft by conversion when, having lawfully obtained funds or other property of another including, but not limited to, leased or rented personal property, under an agreement or other known legal obligation to make a specified application of such funds or a specified disposition of such property, he knowingly converts the funds or property to his own use in violation of the agreement or legal obligation. This Code section applies whether the application or disposition is to be made from the funds or property of another or from the accused´s own funds or property in equivalent amount when the agreement contemplates that the accused may deal with the funds or property of another as his own.”

According to Georgia Code § 16-8-7(a) “A person commits the offense of theft by receiving stolen property when he receives, disposes of, or retains stolen property which he knows or should know was stolen unless the property is received, disposed of, or retained with intent to restore it to the owner. ‘Receiving’ means acquiring possession or control or lending on the security of the property. (b) In any prosecution under this Code section it shall not be necessary to show a conviction of the principal thief.”

Georgia Code § 16-8-14 (a) states that “A person commits the offense of theft by shoplifting when he alone or in concert with another person, with the intent of appropriating merchandise to his own use without paying for the same or to deprive the owner of possession thereof or of the value thereof, in whole or in part, does any of the following:

Conceals or takes possession of the goods or merchandise of any store or retail establishment;
Alters the price tag or other price marking on goods or merchandise of any store or retail establishment;
Transfers the goods or merchandise of any store or retail establishment from one container to another;
Interchanges the label or price tag from one item of merchandise with a label or price tag for another item of merchandise; or
Wrongfully causes the amount paid to be less than the merchant’s stated price for the merchandise.”

If you have been charged with any type of theft related crime in Atlanta or anywhere in Georgia, you should hire an experienced West Georgia-Atlanta criminal defense lawyer to ensure that your case is represented by skilled and aggressive professionals. We will use our knowledge of Georgia criminal law and our solid relationships with prosecutors and judges throughout the state to gain the best outcome possible for your case.