money sectionmoney sectionA person commits larceny when he steals something that does not belong to him. In Virginia, there are two categories of larceny: petit larceny and grand larceny. The offense charged is based on the value of the property stolen. The larceny statutes are set forth in Section 18.2 of the Virginia Code, Crimes and Offenses Generally.
Florida law generally defines theft as knowingly obtaining the property of another with intent to deprive when the thief is not entitled to use of the property under Section 812.014 of the Florida Statutes. Similar to other states, Florida increases the charge based on severity. Florida treats the theft of property valued between $300 and $5,000 as grand theft, a crime that can be charged as a felony.
Statutes of limitation are adopted by each state to keep evidence from deteriorating over time. Prosecutors must bring charges or indictments for crimes within a set number of years, unless an exception is made by legislators for crimes like murder, which typically don't have statutes of limitations. In Georgia, someone who has committed grand theft won't be held accountable if prosecutors don't charge him within four years.
The Merriam-Webster online definition of grand larceny is "Larceny of property of a value greater than that fixed as constituting petit larceny." This form of larceny, which means theft, only covers physical property, not ideas or other non-tangibles. There are six criteria that must be met before a theft can be considered grand larceny.
Grand theft, generally referred to as "grand larceny" in U.S. law, is the intentional theft of property or services of significant monetary value. The exact definition of "significant monetary value" varies from state to state, but grand theft (or "felonious larceny," as it is also called in some states) always carries the potential for a more punitive sentence than petty theft.
