by Rina Rose

Created on: November 16, 2011   Last Updated: November 17, 2011

While petty theft appears to be a straightforward crime that might have few lasting effects after court appearances, fines, and jail time, that is not so in the state of Maine.  Maine breaks down different levels of thefts as classes. The statute is for petty theft is Me. Rev. Stat. Ann. tit. 17A, § 353(1)(A).

In Me. Rev. Stat. Ann. tit. 17A, § 353(1)(A)., to define the crime of petty theft is acting willfully and with the intention of depriving someone of their rightful property, whether it’s in retail establishments or not. While taking or using property is one part of petty theft, it also includes hiding it while on the premises, taking more of it than for personal use or for intention to sell it; receiving stolen property; using property without permission, insurance fraud, or receiving services without paying for them.

Petty theft, also known as larceny or shoplifting, is basically defined as removal of property from its rightful owner.  This crime includes one or more of the following: keeping property concealed in some manner while still on the property, taking one price tag and switching it to pay a lower price for an item; blackmailing an owner; shoplifting by trickery, and larceny by a bailee. The theft statues also define petty theft to contain embezzlement, false pretenses, extortion, shoplifting and receiving stolen property.

The classes of theft in the state of Maine are broken down by dollar value and have various criminal and civil penalties.

Class E Theft is known as petty theft. If the value of the merchandise taken is up to $500, then the penalties are fines of $1000 or less and incarceration of up to six months. The Maine statute for this crime is Me. Rev. Stat. Ann. tit. 17A §353(1)(B)(5).

Class D Theft (Me. Rev. Stat. Ann. tit. 17A §353(1)(B)(5).) is stealing merchandise valued from $500 to $1000. Fines and penalties for this class include fines of up to $2000 and jail time of no more than one year. Nine months of imprisonment must be in the Maine Department of Corrections; otherwise the confinement is served in a county jail.

Class C Theft, raises the fines and imprisonment time for theft of property valued between $1000 to $10,000 to up to five years in the Maine Department of Corrections., with a fine of $10,000 or less.  The statute for this crime in Maine is (Me. Rev. Stat. Ann. tit. 17A § 353(1)(B)(4).)

Class B Theft raises the bar for theft and its penalties even more, (Me. Rev. Stat.

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