Farmington Hills, MI Shoplifting/Retail Fraud Lawyer

Shoplifting/Retail Fraud Lawyer for Farmington Hills

In Farmington Hills, all misdemeanor cases involving shoplifting or retail fraud are processed at the 47th District Court, while felony cases are escalated to the 6th Circuit Court. In Michigan, shoplifting is legally termed as retail fraud. Being accused of retail fraud can have detrimental effects on your personal and professional reputation. Fortunately, our attorney at The Law Office of Julian J. Poota boasts 18 years of experience handling such cases and is prepared to assist you. As a fully licensed Michigan law firm, we serve clients across Farmington Hills, ensuring their rights are protected when facing allegations of shoplifting or retail fraud.

Shoplifting and Retail Fraud Cases in Farmington Hills

Shoplifting and retail fraud charges stem from acts such as stealing items from a store or tampering with price tags to pay less for merchandise. These charges carry significant consequences, including potential impacts on future employment and financial opportunities, as well as the possibility of jail time or fines. It is crucial to have a skilled attorney by your side to navigate these serious charges. The Law Office of Julian J. Poota is dedicated to diligently representing you in your shoplifting case, striving to achieve the most favorable outcome possible.

Shoplifting and Retail Fraud Degrees and Penalties in Farmington Hills

A first-degree shoplifting charge occurs when a person does any of the following:

• While the store is open to the public, alters, transfers, removes and replaces, conceals, or in any other way misrepresents the price of an item with the intent to not pay for the item or to pay less than the actual price, when the resulting difference is over $1,000.
• While the store is open to the public, steals an item from the store priced at $1,000 or more.
• With intent to defraud, obtain or attempts to obtain money or store property as a refund or exchange for property that was not paid for and belongs to that store, if the amount of money or price of property to be obtained is $1,000 or more.

First Degree Retail Fraud (felony): Jail time of up to 5 years and a potential fine of either $10,000 or three times the value of the stolen property, whichever is greater.

A second degree Michigan shoplifting charge occurs when the accused has done any of the following:

• While the store is open to the public, alters, transfers, removes and replaces, conceals, or in any other way misrepresents the price of an item with the intent to not pay for the item or to pay less than the actual price, when the resulting difference is between $200 and $1,000
• While the store is open to the public, steals an item from the store priced between $200 and $1,000.
• With intent to defraud, obtains or attempts to obtain money or store property as a refund or exchange for property that was not paid for and belongs to that store, if the amount of money or price of property to be obtained is between $200 and $1,000.

Second Degree Retail Fraud (misdemeanor): Jail time of up to 1 year and a potential fine of either $2,000 or three times the value of the stolen property, whichever is greater.

Retail fraud in the third degree occurs when a person does any of the following:

• While the store is open to the public, alters, transfers, removes and replaces, conceals, or in any other way misrepresents the price of an item with the intent to not pay for the item or to pay less than the actual price, when the resulting difference is less than $200.
• While the store is open to the public, steals an item from the store priced at under $200.
• With intent to defraud, obtains or attempts to obtain money or store property as a refund or exchange for property that was not paid for and belongs to that store, if the amount of money or price of property to be obtained is under $200.

Third Degree Retail Fraud (misdemeanor): Jail time of up to 93 days and a potential fine of either $500 or three times the value of the stolen property, whichever is greater.

Contact us for Farmington Hills Shoplifting and Retail Fraud Charges

If you or someone you know needs a shoplifting or retail fraud lawyer in Farmington Hills, Michigan, our experienced attorney at The Law Office of Julian J. Poota, PLLC can help you. We offer clients a free initial consultation. To discuss your current legal situation, call us at (888) 399-7979 or contact us online.

Shoplifting/Retail Fraud Attorney for the 47th District Court

The 47th District Court is located at 31605 W Eleven Mile Rd, Farmington Hills, MI 48336

The 47th District Court judges are:

Honorable Judge Brady

Honorable Judge Parker

Shoplifting/Retail Fraud Lawyer for the 6th Circuit Court

Honorable Martha D. Anderson

Honorable Mary Ellen Brennan

Honorable David M. Cohen

Honorable Jacob James Cunningham

Honorable Nanci J. Grant

Honorable Jeffery S. Matis

Honorable Cheryl A. Matthews

Honorable Phyllis McMillen

Honorable Daniel Patrick O’Brien

Honorable Yasmine I. Poles

Honorable Kwame L. Rowe

Honorable Victoria A. Valentine

Honorable Michael Warren