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What Are Some Of The Biggest Misconceptions People Have About Theft Charges?

by James A. Abate

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The first misconception is that no one will ever catch them, and the second one is that is not a big deal and they will not be going to jail and that it will not have a big impact on their life.

What Is The Worst Thing That Someone Would Be Facing If They Wrote A Check That Ended Up Bouncing?

It could be a serious matter depending on the check amount. A $150 check to feed someone’s family would be a misdemeanor offense. However, if the person was a school teacher, their employer would automatically be notified, and they would find out that the person was not trustworthy, or they could end up losing their job at the school and their pension. As the amount of the check went up, so would the person’s jeopardy. For a check worth $10,000, a person would probably be looking at a second-degree crime, and if the check was for more than that, it could be first-degree.

I was hired by a young man who thought it would be a good idea for him to hire call girls and settle his bill by doing a quick pay to their account. It is something called “Chase Quick Pay,” just like texting someone money. The text message tells the person that money has been sent to their account, but this person figured out that the bank does not check if he has that money in his account before sending the text to the other person. He would send the text message and take in the services rendered, and then a couple of days later, the service providers would learn that they had been taken advantage of and scammed. He did this to different call girls around the city, and when they saw all of these bounces coming back, the bank wanted to talk to him. He figured he would be in the clear because it was for illegal services, and he felt that the girls would not go to the bank. He didn’t realize that the people being defrauded were the girls and the bank itself, which was being asked to pass a fraudulent financial document.

The same thing happens with credit cards. I have had people present their credit cards at my office, only to find out 10 or 15 days later that it was not actually their credit card; it belonged to someone else or to their father. They assumed their father would lend them the money but they did not tell him that they were using his credit card, so that is something that can be considered a crime as well.

What Happens When A Person Says They Were Trying To Repay The Money They Embezzled?

People say that all the time but it does not matter. It could be taken into account with regard to the court feeling like they don’t need to punish the person as severely as the law would permit, but it is a crime that a person can get charged with and they can go to jail for it.

Is There Anything Else You Would Want To Add To The Theft Charge Article?

A person must keep a theft charge off their record because it could have long-lasting repercussions. There are diversionary programs that can help the person avoid having that mark on their record, and there are expungement programs that can get the record cleaned off, so there are ways to litigate the case into an ordinance. A theft record can keep the person from getting an apartment, getting a job, or being trusted. A New Jersey criminal lawyer can help a person get things they did not even know were possible, including getting help for drug addiction, alcohol addiction, or shoplifting addiction, so it is always a good idea to consult with an attorney regarding theft defenses.

Contact Our New Jersey Criminal Lawyers

Contact our New Jersey criminal lawyers today at (908) 561-5577 or submit a request through our contact form. Your initial consultation will take place over the phone, and you can schedule an appointment at one of our office locations across New Jersey.

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About the Author

James A. Abate

James A. Abate is a founding partner at Aiello, Harris, Abate, Law Group PC. Mr. Abates practice is focused on Criminal Law, Domestic Violence, DWI, Complex Litigation, and Appellate practice.

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