Property Crimes

We are all aware that people can face criminal charges for causing personal injury to another person. Criminal charges are also possible when a person damages or commits another criminal offense involving another person’s property.

The FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program states that property crime include the offenses of burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson, and the object of the theft-type offenses is the taking of money or property although there is no force or threat of force against the victims. Property crimes may be misdemeanors or felony offenses in Ohio, but virtually any property crime conviction will be incredibly damaging in the long run for most people.

Property Crime Defense Attorneys in Columbus, OH | Sabol | Mallory

Were you or your loved one arrested for an alleged property crime in Columbus or a surrounding area of Franklin County? You should try not to say anything to law enforcement until you have legal representation.

Make sure you contact Sabol | Mallory as soon as possible. Our lawyers can provide a complete evaluation of your case as soon as you call (614) 300-5088 or contact us online to set up a free consultation.

Types of Property Crimes in Ohio

Some of the most common kinds of property crimes in Ohio include, but are not limited to:

Property offenses contained in the Ohio Revised Code include:

• Arson, Ohio Revised Code § 2909.03 — First-degree misdemeanor when value of the property or amount of damage is less than $1,000, fourth-degree felony when the value of the property or the amount of the physical harm involved is $1,000 or more, and an arson crime in which an alleged offender causes or creates a substantial risk of physical harm, through the offer or the acceptance of an agreement for hire or other consideration, to any property of another without the other person's consent or to any property of the offender or another with purpose to defraud, or causes or creates a substantial risk of physical harm, through the offer or the acceptance of an agreement for hire or other consideration, to any structure of another that is not an occupied structure, is a third-degree felony.

• Aggravated Arson, Ohio Revised Code § 2909.02 — An alleged offender commits a second-degree felony when they by means of fire or explosion, knowingly cause physical harm to any occupied structure. Aggravated arson is a first-degree felony when an alleged offender by means of fire or explosion, knowingly creates a substantial risk of serious physical harm to any person other than the offender or creates, through the offer or acceptance of an agreement for hire or other consideration, a substantial risk of physical harm to any occupied structure.

• Burglary, Ohio Revised Code § 2911.12 — An alleged offense is a third-degree felony if an alleged offender, by force, stealth, or deception, trespasses in an occupied structure or in a separately secured or separately occupied portion of an occupied structure, with purpose to commit in the structure or separately secured or separately occupied portion of the structure any criminal offense. The crime is a second-degree felony when the alleged offender by force, stealth, or deception, trespasses in an occupied structure or in a separately secured or separately occupied portion of an occupied structure, when another person other than an accomplice of the offender is present, with purpose to commit in the structure or in the separately secured or separately occupied portion of the structure any criminal offense, or trespasses in an occupied structure or in a separately secured or separately occupied portion of an occupied structure that is a permanent or temporary habitation of any person when any person other than an accomplice of the offender is present or likely to be present, with purpose to commit in the habitation any criminal offense.

• Robbery, Ohio Revised Code § 2911.02 — When a person, in attempting or committing a theft offense or in fleeing immediately after the attempt or offense, uses or threatens the immediate use of force against another person, robbery is a third-degree felony. Robbery is a second-degree felony when a person, in attempting or committing a theft offense or in fleeing immediately after the attempt or offense, has a deadly weapon on or about their person or under their control,or inflicts, attempts to inflict, or threatens to inflict physical harm on another person.

• Aggravated Robbery, Ohio Revised Code § 2911.01 — First-degree felony in all cases.

• Breaking and Entering, Ohio Revised Code § 2911.13 — Fifth-degree felony.

• Vandalism, Ohio Revised Code § 2909.05 — If a person knowingly causes physical harm to property that is owned or possessed by another party and the value of the property is less than $7,500, vandalism is a fifth-degree felony. If the value of the property is $7,500 or more but less than $150,000, the crime is a fourth-degree felony. When the value is $150,000 or more, vandalism is a third-degree felony.

• Criminal Mischief, Ohio Revised Code § 2909.07 — Can be a third-degree misdemeanor, first-degree misdemeanor, fifth-degree felony, or fourth-degree felony.

• Criminal Trespassing, Ohio Revised Code § 2911.21 — Fourth-degree misdemeanor.

Property Crime Penalties in Ohio

The immediate penalties imposed for a conviction will usually depend on how a person’s alleged crime has been classified. Depending on the grade of the offense, a person could receive one of the following sentences:

• First-Degree Misdemeanor — Up to 180 days in jail and/or fine of up to $1,000

• Third-Degree Misdemeanor — Up to 60 days in jail and/or fine of up to $500

• Fourth-Degree Misdemeanor — Up to 30 days in jail and/or fine of up to $250

Felonies are punishable as follows:

• First-Degree Felony — Three to 11 years in prison and/or fine of up to $20,000

• Second-Degree Felony — Two to eight years in prison and/or fine of up to $15,000

• Third-Degree Felony — Nine to 36 months (up to five years in some cases) in prison and/or fine of up to $10,000

• Fourth-Degree Felony — Six to 18 months in prison and/or fine of up to $5,000

• Fifth-Degree Felony — Six to 12 months in prison and/or fine of up to $2,500

Columbus, OH Property Crime Resources

Columbus Police Home | City of Columbus — Visit the official website of the Columbus Police Department. You can file an accident report or offense report. You can also search for an offense report and find information about Ohio Crime Stoppers.

Columbus Police Department

120 Marconi Blvd.

Columbus, OH 43215

(614) 645-4545

Ohio | Office for Victims of Crime | Resource by State — All states receive Federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funds from OVC to help support local victim assistance and compensation programs. Visit this website to learn more about Ohio’s OVC-funded victim assistance. You could be eligible for crime victim compensation benefits, including reimbursement for medical services, mental health counseling, lost wages, and other costs incurred as a result of the crime.

The Ohio Crime Victimization Survey, 2016 | Ohio Department of Public Safety — The Ohio Crime Victimization Survey or OCVS found that 52.4 percent of survey respondents experienced at least one crime in the last 12 months. Crimes against property was the most frequent crime category with 25.9 percent of cases, followed by identity theft with 19.1 percent, crimes against persons with 16.8 percent, and consumer fraud with 15.7 percent. Crimes against property were also the most frequently reported crimes, accounting for 50.9 percent of all crimes.

Contact a Columbus Property Crimes Defense Lawyer Today

If you were arrested or believe that you might be under investigation for an alleged property crime in the Columbus area, do not wait to seek legal representation. You will want to quickly discuss your case with an experienced criminal defense attorney.

Sabol | Mallory can fight to help you possibly get your criminal charges reduced or dismissed. Call (614) 300-5088 or contact us online to take advantage of a free consultation.