What's the difference???

[REPENTINGMOM]

So, I have another question... What is the difference between "Petty larceny <$200" and "Conceal/price alter merch 1st <$200) ??? I'm in Virginia, and I understand they are pretty harsh. I'm charged with the concel/price alter for $39 and wondering if that's a lesser, greater, or equal charge to petty larceny? What could I expect the difference in punishment, if any, to be?

[Admin]

If you gave us the penal code that woud help. NormanJr is form that area but if he doesnt stop by we will need penal code

[Norman Jr]

It is the same. Essentially, you were charged with petty theft of items less than $200. If would be grand larceny if it was over $200.

Conceal/price alter 1st - is 1st offense of petty theft, and if you get caught shoplifting items 3 times (less than $200) it automatically becomes a felony. That charge would be conceal/price alter - subsequent

This is shoplifting in VA

"Shoplift" means any one or more of the following acts committed by a person without the consent of the merchant and with the purpose or intent of appropriating merchandise to that person's own or another's use without payment, obtaining merchandise at less than its stated sales price, or otherwise depriving a merchant of all or any part of the value or use of merchandise: (i) removing any merchandise from the premises of the merchant's establishment; (ii) concealing any merchandise; (iii) substituting, altering, removing, or disfiguring any label or price tag; (iv) transferring any merchandise from a container in which that merchandise is displayed or packaged to any other container; (v) disarming any alarm tag attached to any merchandise; or (vi) obtaining or attempting to obtain possession of any merchandise by charging that merchandise to another person without the authority of that person or by charging that merchandise to a fictitious person

I think the code is 18.2-103?

§ 18.2-103. Concealing or taking possession of merchandise; altering price tags; transferring goods
from one container to another; counseling, etc., another in performance of such acts.
Whoever, without authority, with the intention of converting goods or merchandise to his own or another's use without having paid the full purchase price thereof, or of defrauding the owner of the value of the goods or merchandise, (i) willfully conceals or takes possession of the goods or merchandise of any store or other mercantile establishment, or (ii) alters the price tag or other price marking on such goods or merchandise, or transfers the goods from one container to another, or (iii) counsels, assists, aids or abets another in the performance of any of the above acts, when the value of the goods or merchandise involved in the offense is less than $200, shall be guilty of petit larceny and, when the value of the goods or merchandise involved in the offense is $200 or more, shall be guilty of grand larceny. The willful concealment of goods or merchandise of any store or other mercantile establishment, while still on the premises thereof, shall be prima facie evidence of an intent to convert and defraud the owner thereof out of the value of the goods or merchandise.

Notice to all shoplifters, in VA if you remove a security tag you are shoplifting!