Retail Fraud Attorney Troy MI

 If you’ve been charged with misdemeanor or felony retail fraud in Troy Michigan, you need an experienced criminal defense attorney who will fight for you.   No matter if your accusation is from Somerset Mall, Oakland Mall, a national chain retailer (such as Kohls, Walmart, or Target) or a local Troy business help is available. Get Hilf & Hilf, PLC on your side for swift and immediate action on your behalf. Hilf & Hilf, PLC attorney Daniel Hilf routinely appears at the 52/4 District Court in Troy, the 6th Circuit Court in Pontiac, and courtrooms throughout Oakland county defending shoplifting charges.  

Facing a retail fraud allegation does not make you a bad person.  In fact, retail fraud is a regularly and aggressively prosecuted offense by the Troy City Attorney and the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office, but it is often based only upon an single incident due to a temporary lapse in judgment.  However, just because shoplifting accusations are commonly heard in courtrooms in Troy and throughout Oakland County it does not mean that there are not serious consequences or that it will not affect your life in a bad way, because any criminal conviction record for shoplifting can have a long lasting impact on your life.  A shoplifting sentence in Michigan may include any or all of the following: the loss of your freedom (potential incarceration); probation with strict supervisory conditions; loss of employment; professional licensing issues (for lawyers, nurses, stock brokers, and other licensed professionals); loss of educational opportunities; steep fines and costs; immigration problems (for persons that are not United States citizens); and personal embarrassment.  If you are faced with any type of retail fraud or theft allegation, you need a respected, experienced, and local shoplifting defense attorney who is on your side.

There are several different actions made by a person that can lead to a retail fraud charge: when store merchandise is stolen or an attempt to steal store merchandise is made; the price tag of the merchandise is intentionally changed to a lower price in order to defraud the store; or merchandise is fraudulently exchanged in order to obtain money, store credit, or other merchandise.  Felony and misdemeanor retail theft offenses that are commonly prosecuted in Troy, Michigan include the following:

First Degree Retail Fraud is a felony charge that carries up to a 5 year maximum prison sentence (even though the maximum penalty is high, the Judge has the discretion to not incarcerate the person accused and/or convicted) that is prosecuted when the merchandise involved is $1,000 (one thousand dollars) or more, or if the merchandise involved is $200 (two hundred dollars) or more and the person has a prior theft conviction.  

Organized Retail Theft is felony charge that carries up to a 5 year maximum prison sentence (even though the maximum penalty is high, the Judge has the discretion to not incarcerate the person accused and/or convicted), that is also subject to applicable habitual offender sentencing provisions.  For this offense the prosecution usually alleges that the intent of the Defendant is to shoplift and then resell the stolen merchandise he or she steals to another person or business.

Second Degree Retail Fraud is a misdemeanor charge that carries up to a 1 year maximum county jail sentence (even though the maximum penalty is high, the Judge has the discretion to not incarcerate the person accused and/or convicted), that is prosecuted when the merchandise involved is at least $200 (two hundred dollars) but less than $1000 (one thousand dollars), or if the merchandise involved is under $200 (two hundred dollars) and the person has a prior theft conviction.  

Third Degree Retail Fraud is a misdemeanor charge that carries up to a 93 day maximum county jail sentence (even though the maximum penalty is high, the Judge has the discretion to not incarcerate the person accused and/or convicted), that is prosecuted under either State law or local ordinance, when the merchandise involved in the offense is less than $200 (two hundred dollars).

Removal of a Theft Detection Device is a misdemeanor charges that carries up to a 365 day maximum county jail sentence under State law (even though the maximum penalty is high, the Judge has the discretion to not incarcerate the person accused and/or convicted).

Hire a Top Rated Local Troy Michigan Lawyer Who Specializes in Defending Retail Fraud Accusations

Many national and local merchants in Troy Michigan have implemented well thought out loss prevention related procedures with the goal of reducing retail fraud losses and related costs, avoiding contested litigation, and deterring store theft.  It is not uncommon for store to use a team of loss prevention personnel and sophisticated shoplifting prevention equipment (such as merchandise sensors and closed circuit television) to attempt to combat the costs and liabilities associated with retail fraud.  Even with the use of most up to date theft detection technology and extensive loss prevention training for employees, mistakes are still made and persons are still sometimes falsely arrested due to errors in judgment (such as false identification and false interpretation of a situation), cultural issues, and procedural errors.

If you retain attorney Daniel Hilf, he will immediately try to obtain all the available discovery materials to fully and properly defend you, which can include the following: police report(s), loss prevention report(s), witness statement(s), in store video(s), police video(s), photograph(s), statement(s) the police and/or loss prevention claims that you made.  It is your Constitutionally protected right to have trial in front of a Judge or jury and fight the accusation, or to choose to accept a plea or plea bargain and try and persuade the Judge to have mercy.  It is your choice to see if a plea bargain (an agreement with the prosecution to dismiss or reduce the charge(s) against you) is possible or to try and obtain a favorable sentence agreement (an agreement with the Judge and/or prosecutor to impose a specific sentence, such as avoiding or limiting any term of confinement).  

When arrested for retail fraud, your number one priority is to hire an experienced local retail fraud defense lawyer to help you obtain the best possible result for your circumstances.  As stated earlier, a retail fraud conviction will likely cause you endless long term problems in addition to the criminal penalties, including making it extremely hard to find a job or career, because many companies do not want to risk hiring someone convicted of theft.  Retain a leading local retail defense lawyer for your Troy case  - attorney Daniel Hilf - to help you.  He is a widely respected attorney with over twenty years of experience inside and outside of courtrooms helping individuals like yourself achieve favorable results, with an office located approximately one half mile from the 52/4 District Court (Hilf & Hilf, PLC is located at 3155 W Big Beaver Rd #123, Troy, MI 48084).

If you have been accused of retail theft in Troy Michigan, now is the time to make an impactful decision to hire the right legal representation.   Contact Hilf & Hilf, PLC for highly recommended and reviewed criminal defense representation for your shoplifting allegation.