While shoplifting is certainly a problem for retailers, employee theft causes greater losses. Regardless, shoplifting is a crime that can be prosecuted as a misdemeanor or a felony, depending on the surrounding circumstances. It is estimated that at least five percent of all customers shoplift at one time or another, yet only about 5-10 percent are caught.
Of those caught, only a small percentage are reported to the police, and even fewer are sentenced. While women are not necessarily more likely to shoplift, they are more likely to get caught. Adult shoplifters are more likely to steal multiple items at once than teenage shoplifters.
There are cases, however, when shoplifting results in far more than a fine—and can even result in a felony conviction, which brings its own set of collateral consequences. An Oakbrook Terrace criminal defense attorney can help an individual charged with felony shoplifting receive the best outcome possible. A skilled lawyer may be able to have the charges reduced to a misdemeanor or dropped altogether.