North Carolina Theft Laws: Is Under $900 Legal?

North Carolina Theft Law Explained

Stealing Under $900 Is Still a Crime in North Carolina. The $900 figure does not mean you can steal something in North Carolina and face no charges. A Cary case involving just $149.54 is a recent example.

Police allege Likitha Panasa, 30, took merchandise from a Target store and later used an old receipt to return it. The alleged transaction got her $149.54 from the store.

She is facing a felony charge. That does not mean every theft under $900 is automatically a felony. In a regular larceny case, North Carolina generally treats property worth $1,000 or less as a Class 1 misdemeanor.

But the charge here is different. Panasa is accused of obtaining property by false pretenses, based on the alleged use of the old receipt.

So, if you have heard that stealing something under $900 is somehow “not a crime” in North Carolina, that is simply not true. The value can change the level of the offense, but there is no legal free pass for low-value theft.

Panasa has not been convicted. She is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.