Madison WI Shoplifting-Retail Theft Defense Attorney Lawyer

Shoplifting is known as retail theft in the Wisconsin criminal laws.  The possible punishment for retail theft depends on the value of the property taken.  If the value of the property taken is $2,500.00 or less, the crime of retail theft in Wisconsin is a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to 9 months jail and a fine of $10,000. If the value of the property taken is over $2,500.00, retail theft is a felony.  The various felony offenses for retail theft in Wisconsin break down as follows:

Class I felony, if the value of the merchandise exceeds $2,500 but does not exceed $5,000.  A Class I felony is punishable prison of up to 3 years 6 months and a fine of up to $10,000.

Class H felony, if the value of the merchandise exceeds $5,000 but does not exceed $10,000.  A Class H felony is punishable by prison of up to 6 years and a fine of up to $10,000.

Class G felony, if the value of the merchandise exceeds $10,000.  A Class G felony is punishable by prison of up to 10 years and a fine of up to $25,000. 

Retail theft is not limited to intentionally taking something from a store without paying.  The offense of retail theft in Wisconsin may be charged if a person does any of the following without the merchant's consent and with intent to deprive the merchant permanently of possession or the full purchase price of the merchandise or property: 

(a) Intentionally alters a price tag on merchandise held for resale by a merchant.

(b) Intentionally takes and carries away merchandise held for resale by a merchant or property of a merchant.

(c) Intentionally transfers merchandise held for resale by a merchant or property of a merchant.

(d) Intentionally conceals merchandise held for resale by a merchant or property of a merchant.

(e) Intentionally retains possession of merchandise held for resale by a merchant or property of a merchant.

(f) While anywhere in the merchant's store, intentionally removes a theft detection device from merchandise held for resale by a merchant or property of a merchant.

(g) Uses, or possesses with intent to use, a theft detection shielding device to shield merchandise held for resale by a merchant or property of merchant from being detected by an electronic or magnetic theft alarm sensor.

(h) Uses, or possesses with intent to use, a theft detection device remover to remove a theft detection device from merchandise held for resale by a merchant or property of a merchant. 

Call Madison criminal defense lawyer Robert T. Ruth at 608-257-2540 for a free consultation if you need a retail theft defense lawyer in Wisconsin.