Fort Lauderdale Embezzlement Defense

Accused of  Embezzlement In Fort Lauderdale?
Did you take  money, services or property for yourself or your own benefit when you are legally entrusted to possess, manage or watch this money for someone else?

Embezzlement Penalties Are Severe
Embezzlement is a criminal offense that is categorized as a theft or fraud charge.

Embezzlement Charges Include

Charges of theft, larceny, fraud, forgery, identity theft, bad checks, or  credit card fraud.
In Fort Lauderdale , embezzlement is punished according to the value or type of property stolen. (Fl. Stat. Ann. § 812.014.)

Felony-first degree
Property is valued at $100,000 or more; is cargo from a shipper’s loading platform valued at $50,000 or more; or is stolen because of and during a state of emergency declared by the Governor. Penalties include a fine of up to $10,000, up to 30 years in prison, or both.

Felony- second degree
Property is valued at $20,000 or more, but less than $100,000; is cargo from a shipper’s loading platform valued at less than $50,000; is emergency medical equipment or law enforcement equipment valued at $300 or more; or is any property listed under “Felony of the third degree” (below), when stolen because of and during a state of emergency declared by the Governor. People  who coordinate with one or more other people for the purposes of embezzling money or property with a value of more than $3,000 will also be charged with a felony in the second degree. Penalties include a fine of up to $10,000, up to 15 years in prison, or both.

Felony-third degree
Property is valued at $300 or more, but less than $20,000; a will or other testamentary instrument; a firearm of any value; a commercially-farmed animal; a fire extinguisher; any amount of citrus fruit consisting of 2,000 or more pieces; any stop sign, or any controlled substance (illegal drug). It is also a felony of the third degree to embezzle any property valued at $100 or more, but less than $300 from a dwelling or surrounding property. Defendants convicted of a third or subsequent misdemeanor embezzlement crime are also guilty of a felony in the third degree. Penalties include a fine of up to $5,000, up to five years in prison, or both.

Misdemeanor- first degree
Money or property valued at $100 or more (but less than $300) is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree (except when embezzled from a dwelling or surrounding property, as described in “Felony of the third degree”, above). A defendant with one or two prior misdemeanor theft convictions will also be punished according to the penalties applicable to a misdemeanor of the first degree (even if the current conviction would otherwise be a misdemeanor of the second degree). Penalties include a fine of up to $1,000, up to one year in jail, or both.

Misdemeanor -second degree          
Embezzlement of property general  penalties include a fine of up to $500, up to 60 days in jail, or both.