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If you’re facing charges for theft or fraud in Colorado and require the legal counsel of a reputable criminal attorney, Steven J. Pisani is ready to help. He is one of the most sought-after attorneys in Colorado and can work aggressively to negotiate your charges down and prevent your arrest from becoming a conviction.
Under Colorado law, § 18-4-401, theft is defined as knowingly obtaining, retaining, or exercising control over anything valuable that belongs to someone else, without his or her authority. It can involve shoplifting, burglary, or fuel piracy. On the other hand, fraud involves knowingly obtaining a controlled substance or procuring the administration of a controlled substance through forgery, deceit, or misrepresentation (§ 18-18-415).
Theft laws in Colorado cover a range of illicit behaviors, from shoplifting in a supermarket to stealing from your employer. One common thing in all these crimes is that all involve knowingly depriving another person anything of value.
Getting sentenced for a crime such as theft can limit your job prospects. Employers are doubtful of hiring a person with a theft conviction. At the Law Offices of Steven J. Pisani, we use our ten years of theft defense experience to keep a sentence of your records. We dedicate all our resources and effort in protecting our client’s rights and obtaining the most favorable results for every theft or fraud case we take.
The term theft and fraud are commonly confused as they are used interchangeably in our society. Under Colorado law, however, theft is a criminal offense itself and carries its own penalties.
Usually, the property does need not be removed from the premises to denote the criminal offense of theft. This means that if you pick an item, transfer it to deprive it of the owner; you can be charged with theft even when you do not personally hold it.
Under Colorado law, theft charges are mainly determined by the value of the stolen item. For instance, theft may be charged as a class 1 petty offense if the value of the stolen item is less than $50 or even as class 2 felony if the value of the stolen item is over $1 million. Other factors that determine the severity of theft charges in Colorado include:
If you face charges for theft or fraud, you need the advice of an experienced denver theft attorney. Attorney Pisani has a proven track record in handling theft cases. He will work aggressively to negotiate your charges down and keep your arrest from becoming a conviction.
If the case warrants going to trial, he knows how to mount a strong defense against theft and fraud charges to obtain the most favorable outcome.
A charge of fraud is brought up if someone procures administration or obtains a controlled substance by making a false representation or through deceit. Here are some common examples of crimes that can attract fraud charges:
Fraud is often an organized crime. It involves numerous situations, numerous conspirators, and many different financial transactions. Because of this complex nature, it’s not uncommon for any person accused of fraud to be charged with other crimes.
Increasing the number of charges automatically increases the severity of potential penalties.
At the Law Offices of Steven Pisani, we possess the knowledge and skills to break down fraud charges, minimizing your sentence, or having the charges dropped altogether.
The secret to fighting theft and fraud charges is successfully challenging the prosecutors’ evidence. That means you will need to present an alternative version of events to make the judge believe your innocence.
In a theft or fraud case, you may argue that the prosecutor’s evidence is insufficient to warrant a conviction or tell the judge that you acted under duress. You may also convince the judge that you engaged in the crime without knowledge of the illegal activity (especially in fraud cases) or use any other defense arguments applicable in specific intent crimes, such as theft and fraud.
Regardless of the theft or fraud charges, proper legal representation can make a difference between winning and losing. The right denver theft lawyer should have the expertise and all the legal resources you will need to challenge whatever evidence the prosecution has against you.
If you have been accused of or arrested for theft or fraud, the attorney at the Law Offices of Steven Pisani is ready to help. He will handle all aspects of your case with compassion, dedication, and professionalism. Don’t suffer in silence when we can offer you legal representation. Call us at (303) 635-6768 today to schedule a free consultation.
