It depends. The best thing you can do is to hire an attorney who is familiar with the County in which the case is pending. There are resolutions to a case such as the one you describe that would result in the charge being dismissed, and then subject to a petition to expunge. Don't go in there and just fall on your sword. A conviction for theft being on your permanent criminal record is a very bad thing. You're looking at a Class B misdemeanor, given the value of the property alleged stolen. So, the maximum range of punishment is 0-180 days in County jail, and/or a fine of $2000. The fact that you have no priors opens the door to some alternative resolutions, though. That's why you need an attorney; to guide you through that part of the process.
Answered on Jan 09th, 2014 at 5:39 PM