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Kissimmee Grand Theft Defense
In Florida, theft becomes a felony at $750 — a threshold low enough that a phone, a week of disputed rent, or a contractor dispute can produce a felony charge. Grand theft cases are rarely the heist the charge implies; they are roommate conflicts, business deals gone bad, borrowed property never returned, and valuation fights dressed up as crimes. The felony label, though, is real, and so is the fallout.
Call or text 407-846-8008 before giving any statement — especially in “paper” theft cases, where what you say to a detective trying to “sort out a misunderstanding” becomes the case.
Degrees of Grand Theft Under § 812.014
• Third degree (up to 5 years): property worth $750 to under $20,000 — and regardless of value: a firearm, a motor vehicle, a will, a street sign, a fire extinguisher, a controlled substance, and certain other listed items. Theft of even low-value property from a dwelling or its yard can also be charged as a felony under Florida's 2024 “porch piracy” changes.
• Second degree (up to 15 years): property worth $20,000 to under $100,000, cargo thefts under $50,000, emergency-services equipment, and schemes involving thefts from more than 20 homes.
• First degree (up to 30 years): property worth $100,000 or more, cargo of $50,000 or more, or theft in which a motor vehicle is used as an instrumentality (beyond a getaway) or causing over $1,000 in property damage.
Thefts committed during a declared state of emergency are reclassified upward — a provision that matters in post-hurricane Central Florida.
Where Grand Theft Cases Are Won
• Valuation. The State must prove value — fair market value at the time, not retail sticker, not sentimental worth, not the owner's guess. Dropping a case below $750, or below $20,000, changes the charge itself. Valuation is the quiet battleground of nearly every grand theft case.
• Intent. Theft requires intent to deprive. Genuine disputes over ownership, loans, joint property in a breakup, and contractor performance are civil disputes, not crimes — and Florida case law recognizes a good-faith claim of right as a defense.
• Identity and possession. In pawned-property and recovered-property cases, possession alone has to be linked to a knowing taking.
• Restitution leverage. Especially with out-of-state victims and businesses, making the loss whole reframes the case for prosecutors — frequently into diversion, a withhold, or a misdemeanor.
A grand theft conviction is a disqualifier for countless jobs and licenses, and dealing in stolen property (§ 812.019) — a second-degree felony prosecutors love to add in pawn cases — raises the stakes further. The charging conference, not the trial date, is often where these cases are really decided, and defense counsel needs to be in the conversation early.
Frequently Asked Questions
My ex says I stole property we bought together. Can they really prosecute that?
Co-owned and disputed property cases are charged more often than you'd think — and defended successfully, because intent to steal is exactly what a genuine ownership dispute negates.
The “stolen” item was a rental or a borrowed car returned late.
Failure-to-return cases require proof you intended to deprive the owner — not that you were late, broke, or disorganized. These cases have real defenses.
Can grand theft be reduced to a misdemeanor?
Yes — through valuation challenges, negotiation, or diversion. A reduction below the felony line is often the most important single outcome available.
Will I go to prison for a first-offense grand theft?
Third-degree grand theft with no record scores non-prison on Florida's sentencing scoresheet. Prison exposure rises with value, priors, and aggravators — all the more reason not to face it unrepresented.
A Felony on Paper Doesn't Have to Become One on Your Record
Call or text 407-846-8008 for a free consultation with former prosecutor Chad Seibel. Office visits are by appointment only.