Charges of embezzlement in Texas can be extremely complicated and confusing depending on the situation in question and can leave everyone involved without a clear understanding of how the court case and possible convictions and penalties will play out.
If you have been charged with embezzlement in Texas, contact the team at Cole Paschall Law as soon as possible for a free initial consultation to discuss your case with an experienced attorney. These charges can have a significant and lasting impact on your life, both personally and professionally, and it is important that they are handled with enormous care to ensure a positive and fair outcome.
Read more below about embezzlement charges, the possible penalties, and how they are distinguished from each other in Texas. Depending on the severity of the crime, the offender’s criminal history, and more, an embezzlement charge can either be a misdemeanor or a felony and have a wide range of penalties that may be applied after a conviction.
During your initial consultation, you will be able to discuss some specifics of your arrest and charges with our team and get a better understanding of how we can help, as well as how we have handled previous cases similar to yours.
What is Embezzlement?
Texas does not have a specific legal definition or charge of embezzlement and instead combines it under the general definition of theft in Chapter 31 of the Texas Penal Code. Section 31.03 defines theft as “a person commits an offense if he unlawfully appropriates property with intent to deprive the owner of property.”
Charges can range from Class C misdemeanors up to First Degree Felonies, depending on a variety of factors such as the offender’s criminal history and the amount stolen (or that the offender attempted to steal).
Charges and Penalties for Embezzlement
Class C Misdemeanor
The embezzled amount has a total combined value of less than $100, resulting in up to a $500 fine.
Class B Misdemeanor
The amount embezzled is between $100 and $750. Fines of up to $2,000, and the potential of up to 6 months in jail.
Class A Misdemeanor
The amount embezzled is between $750 and $2500. Penalties include fines of up to $4,000, and up to a year in jail.
State Jail Felony
The amount embezzled is between $2500 and $30,000. This can have fines up to $10,000 and between 6 months and 2 years in jail.
Additionally, if you have two or more prior convictions for theft of any degree, you will be charged with a state jail felony if the amount embezzled is valued at less than $2,500.
Third Degree Felony
If you are charged with embezzling between $30,000 and $150,000, you will face fines of up to $10,000, and between 2 and 10 years in prison.
Second Degree Felony
If the amount embezzled is between $150,000 and $300,000, you will face fines of up to $10,000, and between 2 and 20 years in prison.
First Degree Felony
If the amount embezzled is in excess of $300,000, the penalties include fines of up to $10,000 and between 2 and 99 years in prison.
Schedule a Free Case Evaluation With Our Experienced Fort Worth Expungement Lawyers
If you have been charged with embezzlement in Fort Worth, contact us as soon as possible to begin building your defense with an experienced embezzlement lawyer. During your initial consultation, we will discuss the charges you are facing, the possible penalties associated, and how we have handled cases similar to yours in the past. The most important thing to do is to begin building your defense immediately so that we will be able to identify the top possible outcomes and work aggressively towards them.
