Property Crimes

Criminal offenses in Maryland are typically broken down into three categories including drug crimes, person crimes and property crimes.  Each of these three categories are treated differently when the cases go to court, with crimes against the person scoring the the highest on the sentencing guidelines table.  This does not mean that property crime are taken lightly by the court system, as the opposite is true.  Property crimes such as theft often have victims who are highly involved in the case, and can attempt to have a great influence over the prosecutor and the judge.  Maryland property crimes lawyer Benjamin Herbst fights for all of his clients to make sure their rights are protected the minute he is retained.  He has won numerous property crimes trials in cases such as theft, arson and malicious destruction of property and is standing by to offer a free consultation bout your case anytime at 410-207-2598.  Benjamin has successfully represented clients in all Maryland state and federal jurisdictions from the Eastern Shore to Western Maryland.  He has extensive experience defending cases out of Ocean City, Salisbury, Hagerstown, Annapolis and Baltimore.  He has also fought for the dismissal of cases in the federal courts in Greenbelt, Baltimore, Joint Base Andrews and Fort Meade.

Theft is the most common property crime in Maryland, and can range in severity from a misdemeanor with a 90-day maximum sentence to a felony with a 20-year maximum sentence.  Shoplifting cases, which are commonly charged as theft less than $100 may have a relatively low maximum penalty, but can leave a person with a permanent criminal conviction if they are not handed properly.  Felony theft and theft scheme cases often have victims that try to become involved in the case and assert their influence over the judge and the prosecutor.  Benjamin will not let alleged victims use the court system to settle personal scores, and will always fight to make sure his clients are treated fairly.  Burglary is another common property crime that can range in severity from a misdemeanor with a 3 year maximum penalty for 4th degree burglary to a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison for 1st degree burglary.  Contact Maryland burglary lawyer Benjamin Herbst to find out what defenses may be available in your case.

Other common property crimes include arson, malicious destruction of property, fraud and embezzlement.  Arson and malicious destruction of property often are domestically related and the victims are motivated to fabricate or exaggerate their stories for personal reasons.  Benjamin has fought and won arson and destruction of property jury trials where the truth ultimately came out and his clients were acquitted.  He has also represented clients in employee theft charges, which are generally treated more harshly by judges and prosecutors.  Maryland employee theft lawyer Benjamin Herbst has represented clients in all state and federal jurisdictions from the Eastern Shore to Western Maryland.  He has defended clients charged in Worcester, Wicomico, Prince George's, Montgomery and Baltimore Counties, and is also an experienced federal criminal defense lawyer.  If you have been charged with any property crime call Benjamin today for a free consultation.