(The Center Square) – A Wisconsin bill could raise the penalties for those convicted of property theft in multiple cases.
The bill would allow for multiple property thefts that occur in a six-month period to be added together as one crime. Property and retail thefts are charged based upon the items stolen starting with a property theft Class A misdemeanor for items worth less than $2,500 and retail theft for less than $500 up to a Class F felony if the property theft is more than $100,000 or a Class G felony if the retail theft is more than $10,000.
“Led by organized gangs that resell stolen goods, these brazen criminals repeatedly victimize our neighborhoods and terrorize business owners,” said State Sen. André Jacque, R-New Franken, who is sponsoring the bill along with State Rep. William Penterman, R-Hustisford. “This mayhem leaves us with more violence in our communities, and higher retail prices in our stores.”
The bill also enables felony charges for those with prior misdemeanor convictions.
Assembly Bill 89 passed the Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety and is headed to the calendar committee on Thursday.
“These initiatives will help turn the tide against thieves traveling across state lines to engage in retail crime and other organized financial crimes, including identity theft and credit card fraud, choosing targets they think are more amenable to their activities,” Jacque said. “This bill is an important step to fighting back.”
The bill is being supported by lobbying from multiple retail and business groups, the National Federation of Independent Business and the Milwaukee Police Association.
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