An Illinois woman faces criminal charges for burglary and retail theft after allegedly attempting to steal property from a local Walmart in Bloomington, according to an article by The Pantagraph.
Court records indicated that the Illinois woman attempted to return a previously purchased TV to the customer service department. Even though staff denied the refund, the Illinois woman dropped off the TV and selected a new one. Then the Illinois woman attempted to take the new TV out of the store. But staff stopped her and discovered nine items of store property.
Overall, the Illinois woman allegedly attempted to steal approximately $443 in retail property from the Walmart in question. As a result of this incident, the Illinois woman faces charges for burglary and two counts of retail theft.
While this Illinois woman awaits further legal developments at an arraignment scheduled for December 3, it seems like a proper time to review the Illinois punishments for retail theft and burglary offenses.
Illinois Punishment for Retail Theft
The Illinois punishment for retail theft appears at 720 ILCS 5/16-25. Under this section, the applicable charge and corresponding punishment for retail theft changes based on various circumstances. But generally speaking, the Illinois penalties for retail theft break down as follows.
If retail theft involves $300 or less in stolen property — or $150 or less in motor fuel — it is usually charged as a Class A misdemeanor. Upon conviction for a Class A misdemeanor in Illinois, the punishment can include a maximum of 364 days in jail and $2,500 in criminal fines.
If the offender has a previous conviction for certain theft, robbery, burglary, or fraud crimes, however, retail theft becomes a Class 4 felony. Upon conviction for a Class 4 felony in Illinois, the punishment can include a prison sentence between one and three years as well as criminal fines up to $25,000.
If retail theft involves more than $300 in stolen property — or more than $150 in motor fuel — it is usually charged as a Class 3 felony. Upon conviction for a Class 3 felony in Illinois, the punishment can include a prison sentence between two and five years as well as criminal fines up to $25,000.
Illinois Punishment for Burglary
The Illinois punishment for burglary appears at 720 ILCS 5/19-1. As explained in more detail below, the applicable charge and corresponding punishment for burglary changes based on various circumstances.
Burglary offenses that did not involve damage to a structure are typically charged as Class 3 felonies. Upon conviction, the punishment will mirror the one described above for Class 3 felonies.
Burglary offenses that did involve damage to a structure are typically charged as Class 2 felonies. Upon conviction for a Class 2 felony in Illinois, the punishment can include a prison sentence between three and seven years as well as criminal fines up to $25,000.
Burglary offenses committed at a school, day care center/home, or place of worship are typically charged as Class 1 felonies. Upon conviction for a Class 1 felony in Illinois, the punishment can include a prison sentence between four and 15 years as well as criminal fines up to $25,000.
Do You Need Legal Help?
No matter what the criminal offense, all charges are serious. A sound strategy and an aggressive defense are essential for a positive outcome. To protect your rights in such situations, it is highly advisable to retain legal counsel from an experienced criminal defense attorney.
The Prior Law Firm in Bloomington, Illinois, has proven experience in matters of criminal defense. If you need legal help with criminal defense, contact us today for a free consultation. You can reach The Prior Law Firm by phone at (309) 827-4300, email at johnprior@thepriorlawfirm.com or by completing an online form.