Theft Criminal Defense Attorneys in Colorado

Have you been charged with the crime § 18-4-401 Theft? This is a serious charge and demands immediate legal representation and guidance. The Law Offices of Decker & Jones know how to successfully defend a §18-4-401 Theft charge in the State of Colorado to protect your innocence.

What to do if Charged?

1. Do not contact the accuser

You may be tempted to contact the accuser to try and resolve the issue directly. Do not contact the accuser. All correspondence before and after the incident can and will be used against you. A lawyer should be representing you in all stages to ensure that nothing hurts the defense case.

2. Do not destroy evidence

You may think that destroying any evidence in your possession will help your defense case. However tampering with evidence will almost always backfire against the defendant. Prosecutors have many resources to recover evidence that you think has been completely destroyed. When the evidence is presented in negotiations or at trial, it will make you look more guilty if you tried to destroy it beforehand. Tampering with evidence is also a crime in itself, which can be added on top of the sentence you could receive for Theft

3. Contact an experienced attorney

When you are charged with Theft, it is critical to exercise your right to an attorney. Your life is on the line and The Law Offices of Decker & Jones are prepared to defend your case. Contact us immediately at 303-573-5253 – even if you have not been charged yet. You need a defense team working in your corner to combat the prosecution ASAP.

The Basics Of § 18-4-401 Theft

See below to read the law pertaining to § 18-4-401 Theft

The Law

Reference the definitions from § 18-4-401 for details on the terminology

Definitions

Decker & Jones will help you understand how the law pertains to your case

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§ 18-4-401

<Text of the introductory portion of (1) effective until March 1, 2022>

(1) A person commits theft when he or she knowingly obtains, retains, or exercises control over anything of value of another without authorization or by threat or deception; or receives, loans money by pawn or pledge on, or disposes of anything of value or belonging to another that he or she knows or believes to have been stolen, and:

<Text of the introductory portion of (1) effective March 1, 2022>

(1) A person commits theft when he or she knowingly obtains, retains, or exercises control over anything of value of another without authorization or by threat or deception; receives, loans money by pawn or pledge on, or disposes of anything of value or belonging to another that he or she knows or believes to have been stolen; or procures food or accommodations from a public establishment without making payment therefore, and:

(a) Intends to deprive the other person permanently of the use or benefit of the thing of value;

(b) Knowingly uses, conceals, or abandons the thing of value in such manner as to deprive the other person permanently of its use or benefit;

(c) Uses, conceals, or abandons the thing of value intending that such use, concealment, or abandonment will deprive the other person permanently of its use or benefit;

(d) Demands any consideration to which he or she is not legally entitled as a condition of restoring the thing of value to the other person; or

(e) Knowingly retains the thing of value more than seventy-two hours after the agreed-upon time of return in any lease or hire agreement.

(1.5) For the purposes of this section, a thing of value is that of “another” if anyone other than the defendant has a possessory or proprietary interest therein.

(2) Theft is:

(a) Deleted by Laws 2007, Ch. 384, § 3, eff. July 1, 2007.

<Text of (2)(b) effective until March 1, 2022>

(b) A class 1 petty offense if the value of the thing involved is less than fifty dollars;

<Text of (2)(b) effective March 1, 2022>

(b) A petty offense if the value of the thing involved is less than three hundred dollars;

(b.5) Repealed by Laws 2013, Ch. 373, § 1, eff. June 5, 2013.

<Text of (2)(c) effective until March 1, 2022>

(c) A class 3 misdemeanor if the value of the thing involved is fifty dollars or more but less than three hundred dollars;

<Text of (2)(c) effective March 1, 2022>

(c) A class 2 misdemeanor if the value of the thing involved is three hundred dollars or more but less than one thousand dollars;

(d)(I) A class 2 misdemeanor if the value of the thing involved is three hundred dollars or more but less than seven hundred fifty dollars;

(II) This subsection (2)(d) is repealed, effective March 1, 2022.

<Text of (2)(e) effective until March 1, 2022>

(e) A class 1 misdemeanor if the value of the thing involved is seven hundred fifty dollars or more but less than two thousand dollars;

<Text of (2)(e) effective March 1, 2022>

(e) A class 1 misdemeanor if the value of the thing involved is one thousand dollars or more but less than two thousand dollars;

(f) A class 6 felony if the value of the thing involved is two thousand dollars or more but less than five thousand dollars;

(g) A class 5 felony if the value of the thing involved is five thousand dollars or more but less than twenty thousand dollars;

(h) A class 4 felony if the value of the thing involved is twenty thousand dollars or more but less than one hundred thousand dollars;

(i) A class 3 felony if the value of the thing involved is one hundred thousand dollars or more but less than one million dollars; and

(j) A class 2 felony if the value of the thing involved is one million dollars or more.

(3), (3.1) Repealed by Laws 1977, H.B.1574, § 9.

(4)(a) When a person commits theft twice or more within a period of six months, two or more of the thefts may be aggregated and charged in a single count, in which event the thefts so aggregated and charged shall constitute a single offense, the penalty for which shall be based on the aggregate value of the things involved, pursuant to subsection (2) of this section.

(b) When a person commits theft twice or more against the same person pursuant to one scheme or course of conduct, the thefts may be aggregated and charged in a single count, in which event they shall constitute a single offense, the penalty for which shall be based on the aggregate value of the things involved, pursuant to subsection (2) of this section.

(5) Theft from the person of another by means other than the use of force, threat, or intimidation is a class 5 felony without regard to the value of the thing taken.

(6) In every indictment or information charging a violation of this section, it shall be sufficient to allege that, on or about a day certain, the defendant committed the crime of theft by unlawfully taking a thing or things of value of a person or persons named in the indictment or information. The prosecuting attorney shall at the request of the defendant provide a bill of particulars.

(7) Repealed by Laws 1993, H.B.93-1088, § 42, eff. July 1, 1993.

(8) A municipality shall have concurrent power to prohibit theft, by ordinance, where the value of the thing involved is less than one thousand dollars.

(9)(a) If a person is convicted of or pleads guilty or nolo contendere to theft by deception and the underlying factual basis of the case involves the mortgage lending process, a minimum fine of the amount of pecuniary harm resulting from the theft shall be mandatory, in addition to any other penalty the court may impose.

(b) A court shall not accept a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to another offense from a person charged with a violation of this section that involves the mortgage lending process unless the plea agreement contains an order of restitution in accordance with part 6 of article 1.3 of this title that compensates the victim for any costs to the victim caused by the offense.

(c) The district attorneys and the attorney general have concurrent jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute a violation of this section that involves making false statements or filing or facilitating the use of a document known to contain a false statement or material omission relied upon by another person in the mortgage lending process.

(d) Documents involved in the mortgage lending process include, but are not limited to, uniform residential loan applications or other loan applications; appraisal reports; HUD-1 settlement statements; supporting personal documentation for loan applications such as W-2 forms, verifications of income and employment, bank statements, tax returns, and payroll stubs; and any required disclosures.

(e) For the purposes of this subsection (9):

(I) “Mortgage lending process” means the process through which a person seeks or obtains a residential mortgage loan, including, without limitation, solicitation, application, or origination; negotiation of terms; third-party provider services; underwriting; signing and closing; funding of the loan; and perfecting and releasing the mortgage.

(II) “Residential mortgage loan” means a loan or agreement to extend credit, made to a person and secured by a mortgage or lien on residential real property, including, but not limited to, the refinancing or renewal of a loan secured by residential real property.

(III) “Residential real property” means real property used as a residence and containing no more than four families housed separately.

(10) Upon a conviction for theft as described in subsection (1)(e) of this section, the court shall consider as part of any restitution ordered the loss of revenue proximately resulting from the failure of the defendant to timely return the property involved.

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