Florida makes it a felony to commit retail theft (shoplifting) when acting in coordination with others.
This means that if two or more people work together to shoplift a total of $750 or more during a 30-day period, all individuals involved can be charged with a felony offense that carries a maximum penalty of 5 years in Florida state prison.
Florida lawmakers are cracking down on organized theft. You may have seen such thefts on the news or in your social media feeds - groups of people entering stores, grabbing as much merchandise as possible, and then leaving. In many instances, these groups of people will go from store to store over a period of hours, or even days, to gather as much merchandise as possible.
Florida makes this act a felony, and it can cost you your freedom.
If you are in Miami-Dade County, Broward County, or Palm Beach County, and you are facing grand theft, petit theft, or retail theft in coordination with others charges, contact my office to discuss the best way to defend your case.
Eric Matheny is an experienced criminal defense attorney who handles petit theft and grand theft cases throughout South Florida - including Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties.