Tampa Employee Theft Lawyer

Employee Theft Cases in FL

Employee theft is a crime that involves the illegal taking of money or property from an employer and intending to permanently deprive that employer of ownership of the property. In Florida, employee theft is a serious crime with harsh punishment that often includes jail time or prison.

When employee theft occurs, it is extremely damaging to a store because the store owner is often paying an hourly wage and benefits to the thief on top of paying for the cost of that employee’s dishonesty. Employees are capable of more than your normal thief because they are trusted and have inside knowledge pertaining to the store and the store’s security policies. The cost of employee theft is estimated to be over one-hundred billion dollars a year and has a huge impact on stores and employee relations. The individuals arrested for this offense are generally under extreme stress at work or appear to be working under a dishonest corporate structure.

There are many instances in which a single repeated and trusted employee steals hundreds if not thousands of dollars from an employee over a span of several years. When that particular employee is caught, the manager or employer has no other alternative than to initiate a criminal investigation. In some instances, a civil lawsuit can be filed which can ultimately drain the employee’s assets to repay the employer with full restitution for the amount of goods or money stolen.

Employee Theft Charges in Florida

There are various types of charges filed in employee theft cases some of which include: grand theft, embezzlement, scheming to defraud, and credit card fraud. With regard to any of these theft charges, it is extremely important to contact a Tampa employee theft attorney as soon as possible so they can help you to understand and explain your options.

Additionally, there are various defenses to employee theft and the facts surrounding the accusation can have a huge impact on the outcome of theft case. Some of the most common defenses for employee theft include:

• Not having the intent necessary for a conviction
• Consent from an employer to use the property or money
• Acting out of necessity or duress
• A lack of evidence
• A mistake of fact with regard to the taking of the property or money
• An incorrect statement involving the amount of loss or property taken from the employer
• Obtaining or using the property or money for a lawful purpose