Nevada Grand Larceny Law (NRS 205.220)

Las Vegas Criminal Defense Attorneys

Grand larceny in Nevada is the stealing or shoplifting of property valued at $650 or more. Because it's a felony, a conviction carries high fines and prison time. And future employers may decide not to hire you if they find it on your background check.

Our Las Vegas criminal defense lawyers have been very successful in getting grand larceny charges dismissed or reduced. And if necessary we're always ready to go to trial and fight for a "not guilty" verdict. Keep reading to learn about the Nevada crime of grand larceny and how we can help.

Definition

The legal definition of grand larceny in Las Vegas, Nevada is when someone "intentionally steals, takes and carries away, leads away or drives away" property owned by another person without their consent and when the property is valued at $650 or more.

The majority of grand larceny cases stem from the following scenarios:

• taking money or property from a store (the Nevada crime of shoplifting),



• using an ATM to withdraw money that's not yours,



• stealing furniture or other articles from a hotel room where the defendant is staying, and



• stealing someone else's pets or farm animals.

Stealing is not grand larceny under NRS 205.220 when the property is worth less than $650. In those cases prosecutors may instead bring charges for the Nevada offense of petit larceny.

Larceny vs. Burglary

The Nevada crime of burglary is an entirely separate offense from larceny. Burglary is the entering of any building with the intent to commit larceny inside. A suspect may still be charged with burglary whether or not he/she succeeds in stealing any property.

Defenses

There are many arguments your criminal defense lawyer can use when fighting a Nevada grand larceny charge. Below is a sampling of these defenses:

• You didn't mean to steal. You didn't commit grand larceny if you didn't intend to steal the property in the first place. For example, a shopper who honestly forgets to pay and leaves the store with merchandise is not criminally liable.



• The property was yours. It's impossible to steal property that belongs to you. If the prosecutor can't prove that you didn't own the property in question, grand larceny charges cannot stand.



• The property wasn't valuable enough. If your attorney can show that the property was worth less than $650, then the charges should be reduced to petty larceny which is only a misdemeanor in Nevada.

Penalties

Penalties for violating grand larceny in Nevada depend on the value of the allegedly stolen property.

If the worth of the property is at least $650 but less than $3,500, grand larceny is a category C felony in Las Vegas. The sentence carries:

• restitution of the items allegedly stolen, and



• one to five years in Nevada State Prison and maybe a fine of up to $10,000

But if the value of the property is $3,500 or more, grand larceny is a category B felony in Las Vegas. The punishment includes:

• restitution of the items allegedly stolen, and



• one to ten years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000

Immigration consequences

Immigrants convicted of grand larceny in Nevada under NRS 205.220 may be deported depending on the case. So it's very important aliens charged with grand larceny hire a criminal defense attorney to try to plead down the case to non-removable charges. Learn more about the criminal defense of immigrants in Nevada.

Call us if you've been arrested for theft . . .

If you'd like to explore getting your Nevada grand larceny charges reduced or dismissed, call 702-DEFENSE (333-3673). Our Las Vegas criminal defense lawyers can speak with you for free on how best to defend your case.

For further information, read our articles on: Nevada crime of shoplifting; Nevada offense of petit larceny; misdemeanor in Nevada; category B felony in Las Vegas; category C felony in Las Vegas; Nevada crime of burglary; criminal defense of immigrants in Nevada. To learn about California grand theft law (for property valued at over $400), go to our webpage about California grand theft law.

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