larceny

Larceny is a crime at common law that refers to the illegal taking of the property of another with intent to deprive the owner thereof. In order to be convicted of larceny, most states impose some sort of monetary value requirement for the property taken. For example, in the 1987 case of State v. White, the Supreme Court of North Carolina held that larceny is a lesser included offense of armed robbery, and in order to convict of felony larceny the State must prove beyond reasonable doubt that value of stolen property exceeded $400, or the larceny is punishable only as a misdemeanor.

[Last reviewed in June of 2023 by the Wex Definitions Team]

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