Jacksonville Criminal Attorney Blog

The University of Florida Medical Plaza on the Emerson Expressway was the victim of $42,000.00 of theft. Fourteen air condition units were stolen from the Jacksonville medical complex.

Many times, the thieves are destroying the air units to get to the copper. They can sell the copper for a good amount of money at metal scrap yards. If the suspects are found, they could face charges of Grand Theft and if they sell the parts, Dealing in Stolen Property.

Grand Theft can be charged if the item(s) stolen are valued at $300.00 or more. This criminal charge is a third degree felony punishable for up to 5 years in prison.

You can be charged with Dealing in Stolen Property if you sold or bought an item you knew or should have known was stolen. This charge is a second degree felony and is punishable for up to 15 years in prison.

If you have any questions about theft charges in Jacksonville, call our Jacksonville Theft Attorneys at (904) 634-0900.

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Recently an office park in the Northside of Jacksonville was raided by copper thieves. More than 36 air conditioner units were opened and the copper was stolen out of them. Many times, the thieves sell the copper at scrap metal yards.

If they did sell the copper in Florida, in addition to being charged with Grand Theft, they could also be charged with Dealing in Stolen Property. In order to be convicted of Dealing in Stolen Property, the prosecutor must prove that:

1. You bought or sold the copper.

2. You knew or should have known the copper was stolen.

The charge is a second degree felony and is punishable for up to 15 years in prison.

If you have any questions about theft charges in Jacksonville, call our Jacksonville Theft Attorneys at (904) 634-0900.

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Federal authorities believe they have caught suspects in the largest hacking case ever. The Justice Department believes 41 million debit and credit card numbers were stolen from Barnes & Noble, OfficeMax, Boston Market, BJ's Wholesale, TJX Cos, Sports Authority, DSW, and Forever 21.

It is believed these hackers got the numbers and passwords from the company's wireless networks. Three of the suspects are citizens of the United States, while the others are from other countries.

If you have any questions about crimnal charges, please contact our Jacksonville Criminal Defense Attorneys at (904) 634-0900.

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Certain crimes are increasing in Florida due to the economic downturn. According to Florida Today, the property crimes of petty theft, burglary, metal theft, and gas siphoning are on the rise in Florida.

In response, people are securing themselves and their property. They are purchasing burglar alarms, gas caps, window guards, security video cameras, and even taking self-defense lessons. Because of people protecting themselves and their possessions, the security industry has seen an increase in sales.

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Along with the rest of the country, Jacksonville has seen a rise in metal thefts. All types of metal are being stolen including copper in air conditioners, aluminum siding, platinum in catalytic converters, and iron manholes and grates. This metal is sold for scrap at a pretty good rate.

When someone steals, or just finds, metal and then sells it, they can be arrested for Dealing in Stolen Property. To prove this crime, the state attorney has to prove you sold the metal and you knew or should have known it was stolen. In criminal defense terms, that is a very low standard for such a serious charge. Dealing in Stolen Property is a second degree felony punishable for up to 15 years in prison.

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The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office uses "bait cars" to tempt would-be car thieves in Duval County. These cars are equipped with a hidden camera and the police are able to control the ignition and car locks.

In the high-crime areas of Jacksonville, the police leave the car and radio turned on, keys in the ignition, and driver's door open. They wait until someone gets in the car and drives off. In about 30 seconds, the police disable the car and lock the doors. They pull their guns and arrest the suspects for Grand Theft Auto.

While the suspects are caught "red-handed", there are some potential issues with using the decoy car. What if the kill switch malfunctions and the suspect drives off in the Jacksonville city-owned car? Authorities in Dallas, Texas stopped its bait car program recently when the engine would not cut off and the suspect killed an 83 year-old driver in another car. The crash would not have occurred if the police had not created the theft in the first place. By using the bait car, the police are catching opportunists, not professional car thieves. This is not preventing cars from being stolen because when using the bait car, it is the bait car itself that is "stolen" over and over again.

If you have any questions about criminal charges, contact our Jacksonville Criminal Attorneys at (904) 634-0900.

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The National Insurance Crime Bureau just released its list of the most stolen cars in Florida. They are the:

Toyota Camry
Honda Accord
Honda Civic
Dodge Caravan
Ford F150 Series
Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee
Toyota Corolla
Chevy Caprice
Ford Taurus

If you are convicted of Grand Theft Auto in Florida, you could face up to 5 years in prison because the charge is a third degree felony.

If you have any questions about misdemeanor or felony theft charges, contact our Jacksonville Criminal Defense Attorneys at (904) 634-0900.

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