2020 -- S 2684 | |
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LC004188 | |
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND | |
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY | |
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2020 | |
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A N A C T | |
RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES - THEFT, EMBEZZLEMENT, FALSE PRETENSES, | |
AND MISAPPROPRIATION | |
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Introduced By: Senators Bell, Quezada, Nesselbush, Crowley, and Murray | |
Date Introduced: February 27, 2020 | |
Referred To: Senate Judiciary | |
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: | |
1 | SECTION 1. Sections 11-41-5 and 11-41-20 of the General Laws in Chapter 11-41 |
2 | entitled "Theft, Embezzlement, False Pretenses, and Misappropriation" are hereby amended to |
3 | read as follows: |
4 | 11-41-5. Penalties for larceny. |
5 | (a) Any person convicted of any offense under §§ 11-41-1 -- 11-41-6, except § 11-41-3, |
6 | shall be punished as follows, according to the value of the property or money stolen, received, |
7 | embezzled, fraudulently appropriated, converted, or obtained, received, taken, or secreted by false |
8 | pretenses or otherwise with intent to cheat, defraud, embezzle, or fraudulently convert: |
9 | (1) If the value exceeds one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500), and is less than five |
10 | thousand dollars ($5,000), by imprisonment for not more than three (3) years or by a fine of not |
11 | more than one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500), or both; |
12 | (2) If the value exceeds five thousand dollars ($5,000), but is less than ten thousand |
13 | dollars ($10,000), by imprisonment for not more than six (6) years or by a fine of not more than |
14 | three thousand dollars ($3,000), or both; and |
15 | (3) If the value exceeds ten thousand dollars ($10,000), or if the property is a firearm as |
16 | defined in § 11-47-5.1, regardless of its value, the person shall be punished by imprisonment for |
17 | not more than ten (10) years or by a fine of not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000), or both. |
18 | If the value does not exceed one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500) If the value exceeds two |
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1 | hundred fifty dollars ($250), and is less than one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500), the |
2 | person shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than one year, or by a fine of not more |
3 | than five hundred dollars ($500), or both. If the value does not exceed two hundred fifty dollars |
4 | ($250), and is a first offense, the person shall be sentenced to complete up to twenty (20) hours of |
5 | community service, as ordered by the court, or be punished by a fine of not more than fifty dollars |
6 | ($50.00), or double the value of the stolen item(s), minus the fair market value of any item(s) |
7 | returned, or both. If the value exceeds two hundred fifty dollars ($250), and is less than one |
8 | thousand dollars ($1,000), and a first offense, or exceeds twenty-five dollars ($25.00), and is less |
9 | than two hundred fifty dollars ($250), and a second offense, or does not exceed twenty-five |
10 | dollars ($25.00), and is a fourth offense, the person shall be punished by imprisonment for not |
11 | more than three (3) months, or by a fine of twice the amount of the value of the item(s) stolen, |
12 | minus the fair market value of any item(s) returned. Any person convicted of an offense under § |
13 | 11-41-2 who shall be found to have knowingly obtained the property from a person under |
14 | eighteen (18) years of age, notwithstanding the value of the property or money, shall be punished |
15 | by imprisonment for not more than ten (10) years or by a fine of not more than five thousand |
16 | dollars ($5,000), or both. |
17 | (b) Any person convicted of an offense in violation of §§ 11-41-1 -- 11-41-7, except § |
18 | 11-41-3, that involves a victim who is a person sixty-five (65) years of age or older at the time of |
19 | the offense and which involves property or money stolen, received, embezzled, fraudulently |
20 | appropriated, converted, or obtained, received, taken, or secreted by false pretenses or otherwise |
21 | with intent to cheat, defraud, embezzle, or fraudulently convert, with a value in excess of five |
22 | hundred dollars ($500), shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than two (2) years but not |
23 | more than fifteen (15) years or by a fine of not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000), or both. |
24 | If the value of the property or money does not exceed five hundred dollars ($500), the person |
25 | shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than one year but not more than five (5) years or |
26 | by a fine of not more than three thousand dollars ($3,000), or both. |
27 | (c) All monetary amounts with regard to value of merchandise shall be increased |
28 | annually to reflect the rate of inflation as adjusted by the percentage of increase in the consumer |
29 | price index for all urban consumers (CPI-U) as published by the United States Department of |
30 | Labor Statistics as of September 30 of the prior calendar year. |
31 | 11-41-20. Shoplifting. |
32 | (a) For the purpose of this section: |
33 | (1) "Conceal" means to place merchandise in such a manner that it is not visible through |
34 | ordinary observation. |
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1 | (2) "Full retail value" means the merchant's stated price of the merchandise. |
2 | (3) "Merchandise" means any items of tangible personal property offered for sale within a |
3 | retail mercantile establishment. |
4 | (4) "Merchant" means an owner or operator of any retail mercantile establishment or any |
5 | agent, employee, lessee, officer, or director of the owner or operator. |
6 | (5) "Premises of a retail mercantile establishment" includes the retail mercantile |
7 | establishment, and common use areas in shopping centers, and all parking areas set aside by a |
8 | merchant or on behalf of a merchant for the parking of vehicles for the convenience of the patrons |
9 | of the retail mercantile establishment. |
10 | (6) "Retail mercantile establishment" means any place where merchandise is displayed, |
11 | held, stored or offered for sale to the public. |
12 | (7) "Shopping cart" means those push carts of the type or types which are commonly |
13 | provided by grocery stores, drug stores, or other retail mercantile establishments for the use of the |
14 | public in transporting commodities on or from the premises of the retail mercantile establishment. |
15 | (b) Whoever shall engage in the following shall be guilty of the crime of shoplifting: |
16 | (1) Take possession of, carry away, transfer or cause to be carried away or transferred |
17 | any merchandise displayed, held, stored, or offered for sale by a retail mercantile establishment |
18 | with the intention of depriving the merchant of all or any part of the full retail value of the |
19 | merchandise; |
20 | (2) Alter, transfer, or remove a label, price tag, marking, indicia of value or any other |
21 | markings which aid in determining value affixed to any merchandise displayed, held, stored or |
22 | offered for sale in a retail mercantile establishment and attempt to purchase or purchase the |
23 | merchandise personally or in consort with another at less than the full retail value with the |
24 | intention of depriving the merchant of all or any part of the full retail value of such merchandise; |
25 | (3) Transfer any merchandise displayed, held, stored or offered for sale in a retail |
26 | mercantile establishment from one container to another in an attempt to purchase or purchase the |
27 | merchandise personally or in consort with another at less than the full retail value with the |
28 | intention of depriving the merchant of all or any part of the full retail value of the merchandise; or |
29 | (4) Remove a shopping cart from the premises of a retail mercantile establishment |
30 | without the consent of the merchant given at the time of the removal with the intention of |
31 | depriving the merchant of the possession, use, or benefit of the cart. |
32 | (c) The fact that a person conceals upon his person, among his or her belongings, or upon |
33 | the person or among the belongings of another merchandise displayed, held, stored or offered for |
34 | sale in a retail mercantile establishment, for which he or she has not paid the full retail value, and |
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1 | the merchandise has been taken beyond the area within the retail mercantile establishment where |
2 | payment for it is to be made, shall be prima facie evidence that the person has possessed, carried |
3 | away, or transferred the merchandise with the intention of depriving the merchant of all or part of |
4 | the full retail value of the merchandise without paying the full retail value of the merchandise. |
5 | (d) Any person convicted of the crime of shoplifting shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and |
6 | shall be punished by a fine of not less than fifty dollars ($50.00) or two times the full retail value |
7 | of the merchandise, whichever is greater, but not more than five hundred dollars ($500), or by |
8 | imprisonment for not more than one year, or both; provided, any person convicted of the crime of |
9 | shoplifting merchandise with a retail value of over one hundred dollars ($100) who has |
10 | previously been convicted of shoplifting shall be guilty of a felony and shall be punished by a |
11 | fine of not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000), or by imprisonment of not more than five (5) |
12 | years, or both., if the value does not exceed two hundred fifty dollars ($250), and is a first |
13 | offense, or if the value does not exceed twenty-five dollars ($25.00), and is a second or third |
14 | offense, the person shall be sentenced up to twenty (20) hours of community service, as ordered |
15 | by the court, or punished by a fine of up to fifty dollars ($50.00), or double the value of the stolen |
16 | merchandise, minus the fair market value of any merchandise returned. If the value exceeds two |
17 | hundred fifty dollars ($250), and is less than one thousand dollars ($1,000), and is a first offense, |
18 | or if the value exceeds twenty-five dollars ($25.00), and is less than two hundred fifty dollars |
19 | ($250), and is a second or third offense, or if the value does not exceed twenty-five dollars |
20 | ($25.00), and is a fourth offense, the person shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than |
21 | three (3) months, or by a fine of twice the value of the merchandise, minus the fair market value |
22 | of any merchandise returned. If the value exceeds one thousand dollars ($1,000), and is a first |
23 | offense, or if the value exceeds two hundred fifty dollars ($250), and is less than one thousand |
24 | dollars ($1,000), and is a second offense, or if the value does exceeds twenty-five dollars |
25 | ($25.00), and is less than two hundred fifty dollars ($250), and is a fourth offense, the person |
26 | shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than six (6) months, or by a fine of twice the |
27 | value of the stolen merchandise, minus the fair market value of any merchandise returned. |
28 | (e) No person shall be charged with the offense of shoplifting if they are charged with the |
29 | offense of larceny for the same act. |
30 | (f) All monetary amounts with regard to value of merchandise shall be increased annually |
31 | to reflect the rate of inflation as adjusted by the percentage of increase in the consumer price |
32 | index for all urban consumers (CPI-U) as published by the United States department of labor |
33 | statistics as of September 30 of the prior calendar year. |
34 | SECTION 2. Section 11-41-24 of the General Laws in Chapter 11-41 entitled "Theft, |
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1 | Embezzlement, False Pretenses, and Misappropriation" is hereby repealed. |
2 | 11-41-24. Habitual offender. |
3 | Any person who shall be convicted three (3) times for the crime of shoplifting as defined |
4 | in § 11-41-20 or larceny as defined in § 11-41-1 or receiving stolen goods as defined in § 11-41- |
5 | 2, or who shall have been convicted three (3) times of any combination of the crimes described in |
6 | this section, shall also be charged as an habitual offender and, upon conviction, shall be fined not |
7 | less than two hundred dollars ($200) nor more than five hundred dollars ($500) and shall be |
8 | imprisoned not less than six (6) months nor more than one year. |
9 | SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
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LC004188 | |
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EXPLANATION | |
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL | |
OF | |
A N A C T | |
RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES - THEFT, EMBEZZLEMENT, FALSE PRETENSES, | |
AND MISAPPROPRIATION | |
*** | |
1 | This act would provide for a reduced penalty for the offense of larceny, and further |
2 | provides for a tiered penalty system for the offense of shoplifting. This act further provides that |
3 | the offense of shoplifting, under two hundred fifty dollars ($250), and first offense, or under |
4 | twenty-five dollars ($25.00), and second or third offense, is no longer classified as a |
5 | misdemeanor. This act repeals the habitual offender mandatory minimum statute. |
6 | This act would take effect upon passage. |
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LC004188 | |
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