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House Bill 3584 |
House Author: Pena |
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Effective: 9-1-07 |
Senate Sponsor: Van de Putte |
House Bill 3584 amends the Penal Code to create the offense of organized retail theft. A person commits the offense if the person intentionally conducts, promotes, or facilitates an activity in which the person receives, possesses, conceals, stores, barters, sells, or disposes of stolen retail merchandise or merchandise explicitly represented to the person as stolen that is valued at $1,500 or more. Punishment for the offense ranges from a state jail felony to a first degree felony depending on the value of the merchandise stolen. When the offense of organized retail theft is punished as a state jail felony, third degree felony, or second degree felony, the punishment is increased to the next higher category if the person organized, supervised, financed, or managed one or more other persons engaged in organized retail theft. Additionally, for purposes of punishment, an offense of organized retail theft and certain conduct under the offense of theft is increased to the next higher category if the defendant, with the intent to create a distraction from the crime, intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly caused an alarm to become activated. The bill sets out venue for prosecution of the offense of organized retail theft if the stolen property is moved from one county to another.