Crimes Against Property

Crimes Against Property

Arson

Larceny

• Arson is a the willful and malicious burning of a persons property.
• In some states it is a crime to burn any building or structure even if the person who burns the structure owns it.
• If found guilty for this crime you have to pay a fine based on the amount of damages caused by the fire and or prison time.

Embezzlement

Robbery

Examples

Caren starts a grassland fire in a neighbors field after the two had an argument. Caren believes that the neighbor is away from home on vacation. The fire rages out of control and catches the neighbors house on fire. It turns out the the neighbor is in fact at home not on vacation and is asleep at the time of the fire. The neighbor dies from smoke inhalation. While Caren had no intent to harm or kill the neighbor he still may be found guilty of murder and arson.

• The unlawful taking and carrying away of the property of another person against his or her will.
• Shoplifting is a form of Larceny.
• If guilty for stealing property less than $500 or less it is considered a misdemeanor meaning serving time for less than 12 months and or a $1000 fine. This is also can be punishable as a felony at the judges discretion.

• Taking of property by someone to whom it was entrusted to manage or monitor something.
• Punishment for this crime could be jail time/prison time and or a fine.

• Taking of property from a person's immediate possession by force or intimidation.
• Unlike other theft offenses it involves two harms:

-Theft of Property

-Actual or potential physical harm to the victim

• States commonly separate robbery into different degrees based on the severity of the crime.
• Degrees of Robbery:

-First Degree Robbery is when the victim or someone involved in the crime is seriously injured or if the perpetrator is armed with a deadly weapon and threatens to use it against the victim.

-Second Degree Robbery is when the person guilty commits the act with an accomplice this degree may also occur if the perpetrator injures a person not involved in the crime.

- Third Degree Robbery is when a criminal uses force to take someone

else's property. This degree is known as a light crime.

Example

Holding cash from a transaction instead of placing the cash in the cash register.

A man walks into a store and tries on a coat. He removes the security tag and walks out of the store with no intent to pay for or return the coat.

Example

Burglary

Extortion

David accosts Belle outside a baseball card show, believing that Belle just a special card that David wants for his collection. David points a gun at Belle and says, "Give me the cards you just bought." Belle complies. David flips through the cards, then asks, "Where's the Puddinhead Jones card?" Belle replies, "I don't know what you're talking about. I don't have it." David then snatches the cards in disgust even though it wasn't what he was looking for then runs off.

• Burglary was originally defined as breaking and entering the dwelling of another person.
• Typically, burglaries are exceptionally hard cases to solve.
• If found guilty of burglary the prosecutor must prove that the defendant entered a building or structure without permission with the intent commit a crime inside.
• Depending on the state and circumstances of the case, a felony burglary conviction can result in 20 years or more in prison and a misdemeanor burglary conviction would be no more than a year

• Popularly called blackmail, is the use of threats to obtain the property of another.
• Under the common law, extortion is a misdemeanor consisting of an unlawful taking of money by a government officer.
• If found guilty, the punishment for extortion varies based on whether force was used in extorting money or other property. Under federal and state laws, extortion carries up to a 20-year prison sentence.

Example

Some one forcing to open a garage door with intention to steal a bicycle. Once that person is inside they notice there is no bicycle there and goes home empty handed. Although they did not steal anything the perpetrator can be charged if the owner of the property finds out that his/her garage was planned to be stolen from.

Example

Scottie, who is a salesperson at XYZ Marketing Corp., knows that the corporate president, William, is having an affair with Gavin’s secretary. Although he has been at the company for 12 years, Scottie has been unable to rise any higher than his current position, and he is envious of the higher salary and generous perks offered to the district managers. Scottie places a note in William’s car, telling him that he will tell William’s wife about the affair unless he promotes Scottie to District Supervisor within 2 weeks. Scottie has committed extortion.

Forgery

• Forgery is a crime in which a person falsely makes or alters a writing document with intent to defraud.
• This usually involves someone singing the name of another person.
• In all states, forgery is considered a felony, and the punishments range greatly. Some common forgery punishments include prison time, fines, probation, and restitution. While state forgery laws have minimum and maximum punishments in place for forgery, the judge often determines the punishment.
• There different types of Forgery those include:

- Signature Forgery

- Prescription Forgery

- Art Forgery

- Federal Forgery

Fraud

Grand Theft Auto

Example

• Fraud takes place when a person deliberately practices deception in order to gain something unlawfully or unfairly.
• In most states, the act of fraud can be classified as either a civil or a criminal wrong.
• Punishment if guilty for this crime would be:

-Incarceration ranging from 1 to 10 years depending on the severity of the crime.

-Fines that range from $1,000 to $10,000.

John wants to go on a class field trip. The day of, he forgot to get his mother to sign his permission slip. He signs his mother's signature on the permission slip and turns it in the teacher.

• Grand Theft Auto is the crime of stealing of an automobile or other type of vehicle, such as a motorhome, or a motorcycle.
• Grand theft auto is a felony, and is punishable by time in prison.

Vandalism

Example

If a person promises you that you can make a lot of money by investing with him/her, but then just takes your money and disappears.

Example

• Action involving deliberate destruction of or damage to public or private property.
• Effects of vandalism may include broken windows, graffiti, damage to vehicles, and even damage or destruction of a person's website.
• Depending on the specific state and value of the property damage, vandalism is either a misdemeanor or felony offense. Penalties typically include fines, imprisonment in county jail, or both. In addition, a person convicted of vandalism is frequently ordered to wash, repair or replace the damaged property.

Anna was walking through the neighborhood and saw a car that she admired. Knowing she doesn't have the money to afford one she hijacks it and drives off. The owner of the car comes running out of the house and yells, "Bring my car back!!". After that he calls the police.

Example

Bill and Sam were playing baseball in the backyard. Sam hit a homerun and the baseball knocked out a neighbor's window. The neighbor calls the police and they take off running.

Receiving Stolen Property

• To purchase or accept property that you know or believe was obtained through theft.
• To be successfully prosecuted, the DA must prove you knew the stolen property was on your person, home, care or under your control.
• If found guilty, punishment is probation, fines, restitution, and jail time depending on the value of stolen goods.

Cybercrime

Example

Jazzi was at home when a friend came rushing in. Her friend Domonique tells her that he stole a watch and hands it over to Jazzi. With Jazzi wearing the watch later the police came in with permission due to having a warrant and finds Jazzi with the stolen property.

Crimes of Omission

• An act performed by a knowledgeable computer user, sometimes referred to as a hacker that illegally browses or steals a company's or individual's private information.
• Hacking may also occur when a person willfully, knowingly, and without authorization or without reasonable grounds to believe that he or she has such authorization, destroys data, computer programs, or supporting documentation residing or existing internal or external to a computer, computer system, or computer network.
• Penalties for this crime include fines, restitution and or jail/prision time.

• A failure to act
• Examples could be theft,shoplifting,arson,and many more
• If guilty for this crime

Example

• Improperly accessing a computer, system, or network;
• Modifying, damaging, using, disclosing, copying, or taking programs or data;
• Introducing a virus or other contaminant into a computer system;
• Using a computer in a scheme to defraud;
• Interfering with someone else's computer access or use;
• Using encryption in aid of a crime;
• Falsifying email source information; and
• Stealing an information service from a provider