Defining Property Crimes in Illinois
Seeing the differences among crimes like burglary, robbery, and larceny can be hard because they have many things in common. As a result, this makes them hard to sort through. This article is to help everyday people better understand the differences between the 3 crimes mentioned above. Therefore, a better understanding of these laws will have you better prepared in the case you find yourself in one of these situations.
Larceny Theft
Firstly, under Illinois law the terms larceny and theft are one in the same. Larceny can be defined as when one person steals the property of another. Secondly, the property involved could be real estate, money, pets, tools, Wi-Fi, and really anything a person may hold valuable. Most importantly, larceny is committed when the perpetrator involved has willfully attempted to take another’s property through force, deception, or threat. It must be proven that the person committing the theft also wanted to damage and deprive the owner from further using the property in the future.
Larceny Charges
Charges for larceny vary on the value of what was taken. Petty larceny is usually a misdemeanor while grand larceny most of the time is considered a felony.
Robbery
This crime is more serious than larceny. Robbery is the act of one person taking another’s property through force or the threat of force. It should be known that this does not include motor vehicles. In Illinois there are separate charges for auto theft. Vehicular hijacking is the charge when a motor vehicle is involved. Robbery, most of the time is considered a violent crime. Bodily harm or injury is not needed for a robbery charge.
Robbery Charges
In most cases robbery is considered either a class 2 or class 1 felony. Armed robbery has a more severe penalties and is considered a class X felony.
Burglary
Finally, burglary involves a person breaking into a building or structure, such as a house or car so that they can commit a crime. Burglary and larceny are not the same, though larceny may take place during a burglary. The perpetrator involved has plans to further their crime when they break in. Even if they fail to commit the other crime they wanted to, burglary can still be charged.
Burglary Charges
Burglary in Illinois is usually charged as a class 2 felony, though under certain circumstances the charge may be increased to a class 1 felony.
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Mario Sankis is a criminal law attorney at Prime Law Group, LLC and has years of experience in this field. For many years he was a police officer himself. If you find yourself needing any help with larceny, robbery, burglary, or any other criminal law matter, Mario is here to help.
