New Jersey Criminal Defense Blog

A 21-year-old Cliffside Park man was arrested on suspicion of shoplifting $1,295 worth of watches from a shopping mall. According to a news report in The Nyack-Piermont Patch, the incident occurred at the Lord and Taylor store in the Palisades Center Mall in West Nyack. Officials say the man was seen taking Michael Kors watches from a store display before attempting to leave without paying. When brought to the Clarkstown police headquarters, they allegedly found a forged credit card on him as well. He faces fourth-degree grand larceny, fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property, and second-degree possession of a forged instrument.

The consequences for shoplifting in New Jersey are directly related to the calculated value of the items wrongfully taken. It is a disorderly persons offense "for any person purposely to take possession of, carry away, transfer or cause to be carried away or transferred, any merchandise displayed, held, stored or offered for sale by any store or other retail mercantile establishment with the intention of depriving the merchant of the possession" for items valued under $200. It is a fourth-degree crime to take items valued between $200 and $500 and a third-degree crime to take items valued over $500. When the stolen items have a value of $1,000 or more, the charges will likely be elevated to second degree.

Anyone facing shoplifting or forgery charges in New Jersey would be well advised to seek immediate representation from a skilled criminal defense attorney. New Jersey imposes harsh penalties on shoplifters and failing to obtain quality legal representation can result in unnecessarily severe penalties and jail time.

The Princeton criminal defense attorneys at Lependorf & Silverstein have a proven track record of successfully handling shoplifting cases in New Jersey. To discuss your situation with an experienced New Jersey shoplifting defense attorney at absolutely no cost, please call us at (609) 240-0040 today.