Top Retail Fraud Attorney Bloomfield Hills

Accused of retail fraud in the 48th District Court in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan? LEWIS & DICKSTEIN, P.L.L.C. has decades of experience successfully helping thousands of clients charged with retail fraud. Our highest priority is preventing jail and getting charges dismissed, when possible.

What is Retail Fraud?

Retail Fraud can be one of several things: stealing property that is on sale at a store open to the public, changing the price tag or otherwise misrepresenting the actual price of an item so that the actual price will not be paid, or pretending to return an unpurchased item from the store. Technically, this crime meets the definition of Larceny from a Building, a 5-year felony. The legislature decided to enact laws aimed explicitly at theft from retail stores because they did not want to charge a “5-year felony” every time someone committed a petty theft from a store. The Retail Fraud statutes explicitly state that someone charged with Retail Fraud cannot be charged with Larceny in a Building. An experienced retail fraud defense attorney in Bloomfield Hills is your best hope of an extraordinary outcome in the 48th Judicial District Court.

Are There Different Types of Retail Fraud?

There are three degrees of Retail Fraud:

Retail Fraud 1st Degree:

Retail Fraud 1st Degree is accomplished if someone steals, changes a price tag, or fraudulently “returns” an item for sale worth more than $1,000.00. This crime is a felony, and the possible jail term is 5 years in prison and either a $10,000.00 fine or 3 times the value of the item(s) involved, whichever is greater.

Retail Fraud 2nd Degree:

Retail Fraud 2nd Degree is the same activity as a Retail Fraud 1st Degree, but where the value of the item(s) is between $200.00 and $1,000.00. The penalty for this crime is 1 year in jail and either $2,000.00 or 3 times the value of the item(s).

Retail Fraud 3rd Degree:

Retail Fraud 3rd Degree is the same as 1st and 2nd, but the item’s value is under $200.00. If more than one item is taken, re-tagged, or “returned,” the value of all of the items is added together. The penalty for Retail Fraud 3rd Degree is 93 days in jail and $500.00 or 3 times the value of the item(s).

Retail Fraud in Bloomfield Hills

Bloomfield Hills is a wealthy city. The police department and the retail stores in Bloomfield Hills have many resources to pursue retail fraud cases. The stores have advanced surveillance camera set-ups and loss-prevention personnel. The loss prevention personnel are very well-trained and are usually on alert. They can follow a person through a store with hidden cameras and see every move they make.

Bloomfield Hills has worked diligently to be very tough on retail crimes because it wants to enforce the image of Bloomfield Hills being an exclusive place to shop and live, with zero tolerance for crime. Bloomfield Hills is a city where you will need the very best criminal defense attorney you can get. Even if prosecuted by the city attorney, instead of the state prosecutor, you will still be treated very aggressively. The city attorneys want to impress the retail stores that their offices are aggressive and support the stores by being tough on crime.

It takes a top-rated, savvy, and very created criminal defense attorney to fight these cases in the 48th District Court due to surveillance cameras and the other loss-prevention tools at local stores. You need an attorney with decades of experience with criminal law and retail fraud cases and knows how to challenge even the most sophisticated prosecution evidence.

False Allegations of Retail Fraud in Bloomfield Hills

One major problem with retail fraud prosecutions is that innocent people frequently are charged because of misunderstandings or genuine mistakes. In some cases, the defendant may have done what they were accused of but did not intend to steal. No one is perfect, and sometimes people have things that so heavily weigh on their minds that they make genuine and honest mistakes that can be misinterpreted by loss prevention officers who are predisposed to think everyone is guilty.

Bloomfield Hills Retail Fraud Defense Lawyers

The dedicated, experienced, and zealous defense attorneys at LEWIS & DICKSTEIN, P.L.L.C. have successfully represented thousands of clients on felony and misdemeanor charges in Bloomfield Hills and throughout Michigan. We have a well-earned reputation for providing the highest quality defense and aggressive representation, while showing empathy and care for each client.

Call us today at (248) 263-6800 for a free consultation or complete an online Request for Assistance Form. We will contact you promptly and find a way to help you.