If being accused of a New York felony isn’t scary enough, being arrested for a felony crime where your immigration status stands in the balance certainly is. A Saland Law PC client accused of stealing more than $100,000 and attempting to steal an additional $275,000 from a client of the bank he managed, faced such fears. Fortunately for our client, however, despite being arrested for Attempted Grand Larceny in the Second Degree (New York Penal Law 110/155.40) and accused of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree (New York Penal Law 155.40), our client ultimately resolved his arrests with a misdemeanor plea to Petit Larceny (New York Penal Law 155.25). A misdemeanor, our client received the equivalent of “time served.” Throughout the entire process since our client’s arrest, prosecutors offered or recommended felony pleas that included as much as six years in prison. If convicted, our client faced an even greater sentence.
Before continuing, and by way of background, a person is guilty of Second Degree Grand Larceny (NY PL 155.40) if and when that person steals property (money, for example) and the value of the property is greater than $50,000, but does not exceed $1,000,000. Obviously, an Attempted Second Degree Grand Larceny (NY PL 110/155.40) is an attempt to commit this crime. A completed Grand Larceny in the Second Degree carries a punishment and sentence of up to five to fifteen years in prison for a first time offender while an attempt to commit that crime carries a sentence of up to two and one third to seven years in prison.