Theft

• Author: Jeffrey Lehman, Shirelle Phelps

Page 17

A criminal act in which property belonging to another is taken without that person's consent.

The term theft is sometimes used synonymously with LARCENY. Theft, however, is actually a broader term, encompassing many forms of deceitful taking of property, including swindling, EMBEZZLEMENT, and FALSE PRETENSES. Some states categorize all these offenses under a single statutory crime of theft.

CROSS-REFERENCES

Burglary; Robbery.