Aggravated Motor Vehicle Theft is charged in Greeley and Weld County when a person takes control of a vehicle without permission from the owner. Two men were recently arrested for this crime and many others after an alleged crime spree in Boulder. According to the report, the men were booked on 67 felony charges and 20 misdemeanor charges related to Theft, Trespassing, Motor Vehicle Theft, Identity Theft and Possession of a Controlled Substance. In the Thefts related to the vehicles, the cars were left unlocked with the keys in the vehicle or the pair found a hidden key to the vehicle. For the thefts from garages, the garage doors were open at the time the men entered.
Weld County Aggravated Motor Vehicle Theft Attorney: Definition of Aggravated Motor Vehicle Theft
The Weld, Morgan, and Logan County, Colorado law definition of Aggravated Motor Vehicle Theft – C.R.S. 18-4-409 – is:
(a) Retains possession or control of the motor vehicle for more than twenty-four hours; or
(b) Attempts to alter or disguise or alters or disguises the appearance of the motor vehicle; or
(c) Attempts to alter or remove or alters or removes the vehicle identification number; or
(d) Uses the motor vehicle in the commission of a crime other than a traffic offense; or
(e) Causes five hundred dollars or more property damage, including but not limited to property damage to the motor vehicle involved, in the course of obtaining control over or in the exercise of control of the motor vehicle; or
(f) Causes bodily injury to another person while he or she is in the exercise of control of the motor vehicle; or
(g) Removes the motor vehicle from this state for a period of time in excess of twelve hours; or
(h) Unlawfully attaches or otherwise displays in or upon the motor vehicle license plates other than those officially issued for the motor vehicle.
It’s likely that the 10 counts the men each received were for taking and keeping the vehicles for more than 24 hours. Seems to me, though, that leaving your car unlocked with the keys inside is practically giving someone permission to take it.
Sentence for Motor Vehicle Theft Crime Spree in Greeley, Fort Morgan, and Sterling
In Greeley, Fort Morgan, and Sterling, first degree Aggravated Motor Vehicle Theft is a class 3, class 4, or class 5 felony depending on the value of the vehicle taken. The more valuable the car or truck, the higher the charge.
If you or someone you love has been arrested for Aggravated Motor Vehicle Theft, be smart, exercise your right to remain silent, and contact the best criminal defense attorneys from the O’Malley Law Office at 970-616-6009 today. Together, we can protect your future.