Grand Larceny in Virginia (18.2-95)

Grand Larceny

What is Larceny?

Simply stated, larceny is theft. The punishment for larceny is determined by the amount or severity of the crime. A theft is classified as either a Grand Larceny or a Petit Larceny.  Grand Larceny is a felony. In contrast, Petit Larceny is a misdemeanor. Larceny itself comes in many different forms. There are countless items that can be stolen.  Recently, the legislature chose to specifically outlaw the theft of certain items statutorily. Some examples include:

• § 18.2-96.1 Identification of certain personalty,
• § 18.2-97  Larceny of certain animals and poultry,
• § 18.2-97.1, Removal of a transmitting device; penalty,
• § 18.2-98  Larceny of bank notes, checks, etc., or any book of accounts,
• § 18.2-99 Larceny of things fixed to the freehold,
• § 18.2-100 Removal of crop by tenant before rents and advances are satisfied,
• § 18.2-101, Selling, etc., of goods distrained or levied on,
• § 18.2-102, Unauthorized use of animal, aircraft, vehicle or boat; consent; accessories or accomplices,
• § 18.2-102.1, Removal of shopping cart from store premises
• § 18.2-102.2, Unauthorized use of dairy milk cases or milk crates; penalty,
• § 18.2-103 Concealing or taking possession of merchandise; altering price tags; transferring goods from one container to another; counseling, etc., another in performance of such acts,
• § 18.2-105.2 Manufacture, sale, etc., of devices to shield against electronic detection of shoplifting prohibited; penalty,
• § 18.2-107 Theft or destruction of public records by others than officers,
• § 18.2-108 Receiving, etc., stolen goods
• § 18.2-108.01 Larceny with intent to sell or distribute; sale of stolen property; penalty,
• § 18.2-108.1 Receipt of stolen firearm,
• § 18.2-109 Receipt or transfer of possession of stolen vehicle, aircraft or boat

What does Grand Larceny mean?

There are two types of larceny: grand and petit. Grand Larceny is the more serious of the two, and is codified in  Virginia Code 18.2-95.   There are three ways a larceny is considered “Grand”:

1. larceny from the person of another of money or other thing of value of $5 or more,
2. simple larceny not from the person of another of goods and chattels of the value of $1,000 or more, or
3. commit simple larceny not from the person of another of any firearm, regardless of the firearm’s value.

Over the past few years the legislature has changed the amount required to meet the “Grand” larceny threshold.  First, in 2018 the amount increased for the first time since 1980 to $500.  Prior to 2018 the larceny had to be an amount greater than $200.  Second, in 2020 the amount increased to $1000.  Any larceny less than $1000 is considered Petit Larceny, a misdemeanor.

Punishment for Grand Larceny.

Although, every crime is serious Grand Larceny is one of the more serious crimes in Virginia.  Grand Larceny is an unclassed Felony punishable up to twenty years in prison.  Additionally, a felony conviction also has many lasting implications outside of the potential incarceration.

Contact an Experienced Criminal Lawyer

If you or a loved one have been accused of grand larceny, Jurach, Tacey & Quitiquit can tell you more about your rights during a free consultation. Our attorneys have decades of experience defending clients charged with larceny offenses.  To contact us, please complete this form and we’ll respond as soon as we are able.