New York State Punishment for Larceny

Overview

• Under New York law, larceny can occur in a variety of circumstances. For instance, if a person receives a package delivered to him in error, which he knows was erroneously delivered, and then proceeds to use such an item, the person is guilty of larceny. A person is also guilty of larceny when he finds lost property and makes use of it without making any effort to identify the owner. A person commits larceny by obtaining property by making a false promise in exchange for property or by issuing a bad check to pay for it. One of the more common forms of larceny is outright theft of another person's property by removing it from the person's possession. This includes shoplifting.