(A) No person, with purpose to deprive the owner of property or services, shall knowingly obtain or exert control over either the property or services in any of the following ways:
(1) Without the consent of the owner or person authorized to give consent;
(2) Beyond the scope of the express or implied consent of the owner or person authorized to give consent;
(3) By deception;
(4) By threat;
(5) By intimidation.
(B) Whoever violates this section is guilty of theft. Except as otherwise provided in this division, violation of this section is petty theft, a misdemeanor of the first degree. If any of the following criteria are met, then a violation of this section is a felony to be prosecuted under appropriate state law:
(1) If the value of the property or services is $500 or more;
(2) If the property stolen is any of the property listed in R.C. § 2913.71;
(3) If the victim of the offense is an elderly person or disabled adult;
(4) The property stolen is a firearm or dangerous ordnance;
(5) The property stolen is a motor vehicle;
(6) The property stolen is any dangerous drug, or if the offender previously has been convicted of a felony drug abuse offense;
(7) If the property stolen is a police dog or horse or an assistance dog and the offender knows or should know that the property stolen is a police dog or horse or an assistance dog; or
(8) If the property stolen is anhydrous ammonia.
(C) In addition to the penalties described in division (B) of this section, if the offender committed the violation by causing a motor vehicle to leave the premises of an establishment at which gasoline is offered for retail sale without the offender making full payment for gasoline that was dispensed into the fuel tank of the motor vehicle or into another container, the court may do one of the following:
(1) Unless division (C)(2) of this section applies, suspend for not more than six months the offenders driver’s license, probationary driver’s license, commercial driver’s license, temporary instruction permit, or nonresident operating privilege;
(2) If the offender’s driver’s license, probationary driver’s license, commercial driver’s license, temporary instruction permit, or nonresident operating privilege has previously been suspended pursuant to division (C)(1) of this section, or any other substantially equivalent state or local law, impose a class seven suspension of the offender’s license, permit, or privilege from the range specified in R.C. § 4510.02(A)(7), provided that the suspension shall be at least six months.
(D) The sentencing court that suspends an offender’s license, permit, or nonresident operating privilege under division (C) of this section may grant the offender limited driving privileges during the period of the suspension in accordance with R.C. Chapter 4510.
(R.C. § 2913.02) ('81 Code § 131.08)
Statutory reference:
Felony theft provisions, see R.C. § 2913.02(B)