Shoplifting, Larceny, Robbery, Theft stealing electricity

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bluemann33

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I was recently busted for stealing electricity in virginia(for a little over a year) does anyone know the punishment I may face. The electric co. is saying I used about 5-6grand of electricity in this time frame. This is my 1st arrest and i am 35 years old with 5 kids so i am terrified! thanks for any info
 
What statute number are you charged under?
 
I will find out friday when i turn myself in. They just told me i was being charged with grand larceny and meter tampering
 
Hi Blueman,how are you holding up.It must be a scary time for you at the moment.
I too have been busted for the same crime and I am shitting myself.I have so much to lose......
Do you wanna exchange emails,I would like to keep in touch and see how things are going........

Peter
 
Well that's certainly a mature response, especially if someone has children or family responsibilities.

What will likely happen is that you will be fined and have to pay restitution to the utility company.

It does no good to throw debtors in jail (or cause you to lose your job) because, frankly, then there is no way you can pay what you owe.

Gail
 
You should be terrified; that was a pretty silly thing to do. Not that I haven't made mistakes in my life but I am always amazed with people who are terrified AFTER they get caught. $5k of theft would be grand larceny in Virginia. As you can see it carries 1-20 years!

Now, if you have no record, I would get together as much of that $5k as fast as I can and beg the mercy of the court for your truly boneheaded act (and you better tell them you consider it boneheaded) and offer to pay all or as much as you can in restitution as SOON AS POSSIBLE. You will probably still get 5 or 10 years in prison but the eager restitution offer will probably get most if not all of the time suspended for a probationary period.

They MAY, and I do mean MAY, consider giving you a first offender program if you qualify. If you get out of this without jail time, you better go home, hug your kids and thank GOD for protecting you when you did something dumb.

Sorry to come down on you so hard but I practiced law in VA and they are no joke. I get especially tweaked when someone comes in "terrified" AFTER stealing with impunity. Afterwards isn't the time to be scared. Look at your kids; DO RIGHT or you won't see them grow up. Good luck. (What jurisdiction are you in? What judge?)

§ 18.2-95. Grand larceny defined; how punished

Any person who (i) commits larceny from the person of another of money or other thing of value of $5 or more, (ii) commits simple larceny not from the person of another of goods and chattels of the value of $200 or more, or (iii) commits simple larceny not from the person of another of any firearm, regardless of the firearm's value, shall be guilty of grand larceny, punishable by imprisonment in a state correctional facility for not less than one nor more than twenty years or, in the discretion of the jury or court trying the case without a jury, be confined in jail for a period not exceeding twelve months or fined not more than $2,500, either or both.
 
Peterspeter45, stop being pitiful. Grow up and be a man. You were fine with stealing the power, now pay for it. You did something silly. Show the court that you know it was silly and bring as much restitution to the court as you possibly can. This is one place I don't even suggest that you hire an attorney unless you can bring all the restitution to the court. Get a court appointed attorney and save your money for the restitution. You will have to pay for the court appointed attorney anyway when convicted. Good luck to you both.
 
well I went to court had a court appt lawyer and denied the whole thing:angel. I had a few people testify that I had a genrator for that year and i was convicted of a misd. meter tampering. I was charged with class 6 felony obtaining a public utility without payment. The power company wanted $5,900. I had to pay none of that and only had to pay for the court appt. lawyer and a small fine. I was very lucky and even though I beat the system this time I deff. learned a lesson. I know I was lucky and will never try my luck again. As far as advice for you peter.....get a lawyer and dont admit to nothing.:no: Worked for me but again I know i was very LUCKY!
 
well I went to court had a court appt lawyer and denied the whole thing:angel. I had a few people testify that I had a genrator for that year and i was convicted of a misd. meter tampering. I was charged with class 6 felony obtaining a public utility without payment. The power company wanted $5,900. I had to pay none of that and only had to pay for the court appt. lawyer and a small fine. I was very lucky and even though I beat the system this time I deff. learned a lesson. I know I was lucky and will never try my luck again. As far as advice for you peter.....get a lawyer and dont admit to nothing.:no: Worked for me but again I know i was very LUCKY!

Are you saying you got off because you convinced people to give false testimony under oath? You had them commit a felony for you?

By the way, if they wanted to get you, they would have. All they would have had to do is ask you to produce the receipts for the generator fuel.
 
Are you saying you got off because you convinced people to give false testimony under oath? You had them commit a felony for you?

By the way, if they wanted to get you, they would have. All they would have had to do is ask you to produce the receipts for the generator fuel.

well I am thankful we live in a system where I dont have to prove that I didnt do it...."they" had to prove that I did. So i dont think it was a question of if "they" wanted to get me or not. "they
' never would have filed the charges against me if "they" didnt
 
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well I am thankful we live in a system where I dont have to prove that I didnt do it...."they" had to prove that I did. So i dont think it was a question of if "they" wanted to get me or not. "they
' never would have filed the charges against me if "they" didnt

Don't be cute.

Your defense was that you weren't stealing electricity because your friends all saw you using a generator.

Asking to see that generator and the fuel it consumes would have been a logical course of questioning.... but, sometimes, it just isn't worth it.
 
well I am thankful we live in a system where I dont have to prove that I didnt do it...."they" had to prove that I did. So i dont think it was a question of if "they" wanted to get me or not. "they
' never would have filed the charges against me if "they" didnt

You are quite right.
I, too, am thankful for our superb system of justice.
Be not ashamed of the way you presented your defense.
It has been my experience that some prosecutors behave as if they were public persecutors.
Your case should never have been charged, based on the facts you presented.
I'm glad you prevailed.
 
Asking to see that generator and the fuel it consumes would have been a logical course of questioning.... but, sometimes, it just isn't worth it.

They can ask, but just because he wouldn't be able to produce either is no grounds for a conviction. That would be the logic that he has to prove he is innocent. That's not the case - they have to prove he DIDN'T use a generator OR buy the gas. Granted providing such receipts would make his case easier, it's not necessary.

I will say that stealing electricity is wrong, and I disagree with any form of lying in court, the fact still remains that our justice system is still innocent until proven guilty.
 
jharris352;108379 .[/QUOTE said:
Sorry to come down on you so hard but I practiced law in VA and they are no joke. I get especially tweaked when someone comes in "terrified" AFTER stealing with impunity. Afterwards isn't the time to be scared. Look at your kids; DO RIGHT or you won't see them grow up. Good luck. (What jurisdiction are you in? What judge?)

Sorry just seeing this now JHarris My judge was dalton in the Tri cities, Hopewell, colonial Heights, Prince George area.
 
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Dalton in the Tri cities, Hopewell, colonial Heights, Prince George

Really, maybe I should call him and tell him that your entire defense was to suborn perjury from your neighbors. You didn't learn a lesson, you just learned to cheat in another forum. I should call the judge and tell him you are bragging about beating the system.
 
Really, maybe I should call him and tell him that your entire defense was to suborn perjury from your neighbors. You didn't learn a lesson, you just learned to cheat in another forum. I should call the judge and tell him you are bragging about beating the system.

maybe you didnt read my post so here it is again...well I went to court had a court appt lawyer and denied the whole thing. I had a few people testify that I had a genrator for that year and i was convicted of a misd. meter tampering. I was charged with class 6 felony obtaining a public utility without payment. The power company wanted $5,900. I had to pay none of that and only had to pay for the court appt. lawyer and a small fine. I was very lucky and even though I beat the system this time I deff. learned a lesson. I know I was lucky and will never try my luck again. As far as advice for you peter.....get a lawyer and dont admit to nothing. Worked for me but again I know i was very LUCKY!


so lesson was learned no perjury it was all true. and you must have some sort of underlying issues to be worried so much about little old me. I quess your one of those "perfect people" who have never done anything wrong. I was not bragging about winning the case simply passing on to peter what the results of my case were. Don't TRY to be such a di*k . As you can read(or maybe not) I said a number of time how LUCKY I was and greatful to my attorney for defending me. Thank You my strange weird friend.
 
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They can ask, but just because he wouldn't be able to produce either is no grounds for a conviction. That would be the logic that he has to prove he is innocent. That's not the case - they have to prove he DIDN'T use a generator OR buy the gas. Granted providing such receipts would make his case easier, it's not necessary.

I will say that stealing electricity is wrong, and I disagree with any form of lying in court, the fact still remains that our justice system is still innocent until proven guilty.

Actually, asking to see the receipts that authenticate a disputed bit of testimony is legal.
 
I can read. You admitted to us you were stealing power. You got your neighbors to say you had generators. So unless I'm misunderstanding you suborned perjury which is a felony in Virginia. I just despise people who cheat and lie. Call me crazy but I find it to be a character flaw. So you can call me a d*ck if you want. You are a dishonest person and you seem to be proud of it.

This was an opportunity for you to go in, pay what you owe, and walk out an honest person. Instead, you just lied and cheated again to get away with what you did. I don't have a problem with the system having to prove your guilt, I have a problem with a grown man being so dishonest.
 
I can read. You admitted to us you were stealing power. You got your neighbors to say you had generators. So unless I'm misunderstanding you suborned perjury which is a felony in Virginia. I just despise people who cheat and lie. Call me crazy but I find it to be a character flaw. So you can call me a d*ck if you want. You are a dishonest person and you seem to be proud of it.

This was an opportunity for you to go in, pay what you owe, and walk out an honest person. Instead, you just lied and cheated again to get away with what you did. I don't have a problem with the system having to prove your guilt, I have a problem with a grown man being so dishonest.

well you dont know a thing about me so I dont care what your opinion is of me, that said I will just agree to disagree with you. and not "proud" of what I did but very gald that I got a second chance. And sorry for calling you a di*k. I to dont know you and you may be a real nice guy. I should'nt form a opinion of you from a few post, and niether you of me.
 
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