545.01 Definitions. (Repealed)
545.02 Determining property value in theft offense.
545.03 Degree of offense when certain property involved.
545.04 Detention of shoplifters and those committing motion picture piracy; protection of institutional property.
545.05 Theft.
545.06 Unauthorized use of a vehicle; vehicle trespass.
545.07 (Reserved)
545.08 Unauthorized use of property.
545.09 Passing bad checks.
545.10 Misuse of credit cards.
545.11 Making or using slugs.
545.12 Tampering with coin machines.
545.13 Prima facie evidence of purpose to defraud.
545.14 Tampering with records.
545.15 Securing writings by deception.
545.16 Personating an officer.
545.17 Defrauding creditors.
545.18 Receiving stolen property.
545.19 Prosecutions for theft of utilities.
545.20 Evidence of theft of rented property.
545.21 Criminal simulation.
545.22 Misconduct involving a public transportation system.
545.23 Recording credit card, telephone or Social Security numbers.
545.24 Forging or selling forged identification cards.
545.25 Insurance fraud.
545.26 Workers’ compensation fraud.
545.27 Medicaid fraud.
545.28 Identity fraud.
(Repealed)
545.29 Motion picture piracy.
CROSS REFERENCES
Disposition of property held by Police Department - see GEN. OFF. 525.15
Detention of shoplifters and those committing motion picture piracy; protection of institutional
property - see GEN. OFF. 545.04
Definitions relating to theft and fraud - see GEN. OFF. 541.001
Possession of Municipal property - see GEN. OFF. 541.09
Possessing criminal tools - see GEN. OFF. 549.13
(a) If more than one item of property or services is involved in a theft offense or in a violation of Ohio R.C. 1716.14(A) involving a victim who is an elderly person or disabled adult, or any substantially similar municipal ordinance, the value of the property or services involved for the purpose of determining the value as required by Ohio R.C. 2913.61(A) is the aggregate value of all property or services involved in the offense.
(b) (1) When a series of offenses under Ohio R.C. 2913.02, or a series of violations of, attempts to commit a violation of, conspiracies to violate, or complicity in violations of Ohio R.C. 1716.14(A), Ohio R.C. 2913.02, 2913.03, or 2913.04, Ohio R.C. 2913.21(B)(1) or (B)(2), or Ohio R.C. 2913.31 or 2913.43 involving a victim who is an elderly person or disabled adult, or any substantially similar municipal ordinance to any of these offenses, is committed by the offender in the offender’s same employment, capacity, or relationship to another, all of those offenses shall be tried as a single offense. When a series of offenses under R.C. § 2913.02, or a series of violations of, attempts to commit a violation of, conspiracies to violate, or complicity in violations of R.C. § 2913.02 or 2913.43 involving a victim who is an active duty service member or spouse of an active duty service member, or any substantially equivalent municipal ordinance to any of these offenses, is committed by the offender in the offender’s same employment, capacity, or relationship to another, all of those offenses shall be tried as a single offense. The value of the property or services involved in the series of offenses for the purpose of determining the value as required by Ohio R.C. 2913.61(A) is the aggregate value of all property and services involved in all offenses in the series.
(2) If an offender commits a series of offenses under Ohio R.C. 2913.02 that involves a common course of conduct to defraud multiple victims, all of the offenses may be tried as a single offense. If an offender is being tried for the commission of a series of violations of, attempts to commit a violation of, conspiracies to violate, or complicity in violations of Ohio R.C. 1716.14(A), Ohio R.C. 2913.02, 2913.03, or 2913.04, Ohio R.C. 2913.21(B)(1) or (B)(2), or Ohio R.C. 2913.31 or 2913.43, whether committed against one victim or more than one victim, involving a victim who is an elderly person or disabled adult, or any substantially similar municipal ordinance to any of these offenses, pursuant to a scheme or course of conduct, all of those offenses may be tried as a single offense. If an offender is being tried for the commission of a series of violations of, attempts to commit a violation of, conspiracies to violate, or complicity in violations of R.C. § 2913.02 or 2913.43, or any substantially equivalent municipal ordinance to any of these offenses, whether committed against one victim or more than one victim, involving a victim who is an active duty service member or spouse of an active duty service member pursuant to a scheme or course of conduct, all of those offenses may be tried as a single offense. If the offenses are tried as a single offense, the value of the property or services involved for the purpose of determining the value as required by Ohio R.C. 2913.61(A) is the aggregate value of all property and services involved in all of the offenses in the course of conduct.
(3) When a series of two or more offenses under Ohio R.C. 2913.40, 2913.48, or 2921.41 is committed by the offender in the offender’s same employment, capacity, or relationship to another, all of those offenses may be tried as a single offense. If the offenses are tried as a single offense, the value of the property or services involved for the purpose of determining the value as required by Ohio R.C. 2913.61(A) is the aggregate value of all property and services involved in all of the offenses in the series of two or more offenses.
(4) In prosecuting a single offense under division (b)(1), (b)(2) or (b)(3) of this section, it is not necessary to separately allege and prove each offense in the series. Rather, it is sufficient to allege and prove that the offender, within a given span of time, committed one or more theft offenses or violations of Ohio R.C. 2913.40, 2913.48, or 2921.41 in the offender’s same employment, capacity, or relationship to another as described in division (b)(1) or (b)(3) of this section, or committed one or more theft offenses that involve a common course of conduct to defraud multiple victims or a scheme or course of conduct as described in division (b)(2) of this section. While it is not necessary to separately allege and prove each offense in the series in order to prosecute a single offense under division (b)(1), (b)(2), or (b)(3) of this section, it remains necessary in prosecuting them as a single offense to prove the aggregate value of the property or services in order to meet the requisite statutory offense level sought by the prosecution.
(c) The following criteria shall be used in determining the value of property or services involved in a theft offense:
(1) The value of an heirloom, memento, collector’s item, antique, museum piece, manuscript, document, record, or other thing that has intrinsic worth to its owner and that either is irreplaceable or is replaceable only on the expenditure of substantial time, effort, or money, is the amount which would compensate the owner for its loss.
(2) The value of personal effects and household goods, and of materials, supplies, equipment, and fixtures used in the profession, business, trade, occupation, or avocation of its owner, which property is not covered under division (c)(1) of this section, and which retains substantial utility for its purpose regardless of its age or condition, is the cost of replacing such property with new property of like kind and quality.
(3) The value of any real or personal property that is not covered under division (c)(1) or (2) of this section, and the value of services, is the fair market value of the property or services.
As used in this section, “fair market value” is the money consideration which a buyer would give and a seller would accept for property or services, assuming that the buyer is willing to buy and the seller is willing to sell, that both are fully informed as to all facts material to the transaction, and that neither is under any compulsion to act.
(d) Without limitation on the evidence which may be used to establish the value of property or services involved in a theft offense:
(1) When the property involved is personal property held for sale at wholesale or retail, the price at which the property was held for sale is prima facie evidence of its value.
(2) When the property involved is a security or commodity traded on an exchange, the closing price or, if there is no closing price, the asked price, given in the latest marked quotation prior to the offense, is prima facie evidence of the value of the security or commodity.
(3) When the property involved is livestock, poultry, or raw agricultural products for which a local market price is available, the latest local market price prior to the offense is prima facie evidence of the value of the livestock, poultry, or products.
(4) When the property involved is a negotiable instrument, the face value is prima facie evidence of the value of the instrument.
(5) When the property involved is a warehouse receipt, bill of lading, pawn ticket, claim check, or other instrument entitling the holder or bearer to receive property, the face value or, if there is no face value, the value of the property covered by the instrument less any payment necessary to receive the property, is prima facie evidence of the value of the instrument.
(6) When the property involved is a ticket of admission, ticket for transportation, coupon, token, or other instrument entitling the holder or bearer to receive property or services, the face value or, if there is no face value, the value of the property or services which may be received by the instrument is prima facie evidence of the value of the instrument.
(7) When the services involved are gas, electricity, water, telephone, transportation, shipping, or other services for which the rate is established by law, the duly established rate is prima facie evidence of the value of the services.
(8) When the services involved are services for which the rate is not established by law, and the offender has been notified prior to the offense of the rate for the services, either in writing, or orally, or by posting in a manner reasonably calculated to come to the attention of potential offenders, the rate contained in the notice is prima facie evidence of the value of the services.
(ORC 2913.61(B) - (E))
(a) A credit card;
(b) A printed form for a check or other negotiable instrument, that on its face identifies the drawer or maker for whose use it is designed or identifies the account on which it is to be drawn, and that has not been executed by the drawer or maker or on which the amount is blank;
(c) A motor vehicle identification license plate as prescribed by R.C. § 4503.22, a temporary motor vehicle license registration as prescribed by R.C. § 4503.182, or any comparable temporary motor vehicle license registration as prescribed by the applicable law of another state or the United States;
(d) A blank form for a certificate of title or a manufacturer’s or importer’s certificate to a motor vehicle, as prescribed by Ohio R.C. 4505.07;
(e) A blank form for any license listed in Ohio R.C. 4507.01.
(ORC 2913.71)
(a) For the purpose of this section, the following definitions shall apply.
(1) “Archival institution.” Any public or private building, structure, or shelter in which are stored historical documents, devices, records, manuscripts, or items of public interest, which historical materials are stored to preserve the materials or the information in the materials, to disseminate the information contained in the materials, or to make the materials available for public inspection or for inspection by certain persons who have a particular interest in, use for, or knowledge concerning the materials.
(2) “Audiovisual recording function and facility.” Have the same meaning as in Ohio R.C. 2913.07.
(3) “Museum.” Any public or private nonprofit institution that is permanently organized for primarily educational or aesthetic purposes, owns or borrows objects or items of public interest, and cares for and exhibits to the public the objects or items.
(4) “Pretrial diversion program.” A rehabilitative, educational program designed to reduce recidivism and promote personal responsibility that is at least four hours in length and that has been approved by any court in this state.
(b) A merchant, or an employee or agent of a merchant, who has probable cause to believe that things offered for sale by a mercantile establishment have been unlawfully taken by a person, may, for the purposes set forth in division (d) below, detain the person in a reasonable manner for a reasonable length of time within the mercantile establishment or its immediate vicinity.
(c) Any officer, employee, or agent of a library, museum, or archival institution may, for the purposes set forth in division (d) below or for the purpose of conducting a reasonable investigation of a belief that the person has acted in a manner described in divisions (c)(1) and (2) below, detain a person in a reasonable manner for a reasonable length of time within, or in the immediate vicinity of, the library, museum, or archival institution, if the officer, employee, or agent has probable cause to believe that the person has:
(1) Without privilege to do so, knowingly moved, defaced, damaged, destroyed, or otherwise improperly tampered with property owned by or in the custody of the library, museum, or archival institution; or
(2) With purpose to deprive the library, museum, or archival institution of property owned by it or in its custody, knowingly obtained or exerted control over the property without the consent of the owner or person authorized to give consent, beyond the scope of the express or implied consent of the owner or person authorized to give consent, by deception, or by threat.
(d) An officer, agent, or employee of a library, museum, or archival institution pursuant to division (c) above or a merchant or an employee or agent of a merchant pursuant to division (b) above may detain another person for any of the following purposes:
(1) To recover the property that is the subject of the unlawful taking, criminal mischief, or theft;
(2) To cause an arrest to be made by a peace officer;
(3) To obtain a warrant of arrest;
(4) To offer the person, if the person is suspected of the unlawful taking, criminal mischief, or theft and notwithstanding any other provision of this Code or the Ohio Revised Code, an opportunity to complete a pretrial diversion program and to inform the person of the other legal remedies available to the library, museum, archival institution, or merchant.
(e) The owner or lessee of a facility in which a motion picture is being shown, or the owner's or lessee's employee or agent, who has probable cause to believe that a person is or has been operating an audiovisual recording function of a device in violation of Ohio R.C. 2917.07 may, for the purpose of causing an arrest to be made by a peace officer or of obtaining an arrest warrant, detain the person in a reasonable manner for a reasonable length of time within the facility or its immediate vicinity.
(f) The officer, agent, or employee of the library, museum, or archival institution, the merchant or an employee or agent of a merchant, or the owner, lessee, employee, or agent of the facility acting under divisions (b), (c) or (e) above shall not search the person detained, search or seize any property belonging to the person detained without the person's consent, or use undue restraint upon the person detained.
(g) Any peace officer may arrest without a warrant any person that the officer has probable cause to believe has committed any act described in divisions (c)(1) or (2) above, that the officer has probable cause to believe has committed an unlawful taking in a mercantile establishment, or that the officer has reasonable cause to believe has committed an act prohibited by Ohio R.C. 2913.07. An arrest under this division shall be made within a reasonable time after the commission of the act or unlawful taking.
(ORC 2935.041)
(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, a 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 one thousand dollars ($1,000) or more;
(2) If the property stolen is any of the property listed in Ohio R.C. 2913.71;
(3) If the victim of the offense is an elderly person, disabled adult, active duty service member, or spouse of an active duty service member;
(4) If the property stolen is a firearm or dangerous ordnance;
(5) If the property stolen is a motor vehicle;
(6) If 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;
(8) If the property stolen is anhydrous ammonia; or
(9) If the property stolen is a special purchase article as defined in R.C. § 4737.04 or is a bulk merchandise container as defined in R.C. § 4737.012.
(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 offender's 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 Ohio R.C. 4510.02(A)(7), provided that the suspension shall be at least six months;
(3) The court, in lieu of suspending the offender’s driver’s or commercial driver’s license, probationary driver’s license, temporary instruction permit, or nonresident operating privilege pursuant to division (c)(1) or (c)(2) of this section, instead may require the offender to perform community service for a number of hours determined by the court.
(d) In addition to the penalties described in division (b) of this section, if the offender committed the violation by stealing rented property or rental services, the court may order that the offender make restitution pursuant to R.C. § 2929.18 or R.C. § 2929.28. Restitution may include, but is not limited to, the cost of repairing or replacing the stolen property, or the cost of repairing the stolen property and any loss of revenue resulting from deprivation of the property due to theft of rental services that is less than or equal to the actual value of the property at the time it was rented. Evidence of intent to commit theft of rented property or rental services shall be determined pursuant to the provisions of R.C. § 2913.72.
(e) 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 Ohio R.C. Chapter 4510.
(ORC 2913.02)
(f) 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 similar State or local law, impose a class seven suspension of the offender's license, permit, or privilege from the range specified in Ohio R.C. 4510.02(A)(7), provided that the suspension shall be at least six months.
(g) 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 Ohio R.C. Chapter 4510.
Statutory reference:
Felony theft provisions, see Ohio R.C. 2913.02(B)
(a) No person shall knowingly use or operate an aircraft, motor vehicle, motorcycle, motorboat, or other motor-propelled vehicle without the consent of the owner or person authorized to give consent.
(b) No person shall knowingly use or operate an aircraft, motor vehicle, motorboat, or other motor- propelled vehicle without the consent of the owner or person authorized to give consent, and either remove it from this State, or keep possession of it for more than 48 hours.
(c) The following are affirmative defenses to a charge under this section:
(1) At the time of the alleged offense, the actor, though mistaken, reasonably believed that he or she was authorized to use or operate the property.
(2) At the time of the alleged offense, the actor reasonably believed that the owner or person empowered to give consent would authorize the actor to use or operate the property.
(d) Whoever violates this section is guilty of unauthorized use of a vehicle.
(1) Except as otherwise provided in this division (d)(1), a violation of division (a) of this section is a misdemeanor of the first degree. If the victim of the offense is an elderly person or disabled adult and if the victim incurs a loss as a result of the violation, a violation of division (a) of this section is a felony to be prosecuted under appropriate State law.
(2) A violation of division (b) of this section is a felony to be prosecuted under appropriate State law.
(ORC 2913.03)
Statutory reference:
Theft offense involving motor vehicle, offender to pay towing and storage fees, see Ohio R.C. 2913.82
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