Theft Defense Attorney
Rick Coad is a theft defense lawyer who represents people charged with petty theft, retail theft & shoplifting. Contact him for a free consultation.
Rick Coad is a Madison, WI defense lawyer who represents people charged with theft from a business setting, retail theft & shoplifting, or any theft crime. Theft can be charged in a variety of ways, including theft by employees, forgery and embezzlement. Depending on the value of the property taken, theft charges can be a misdemeanor or felony.
Rick has successfully represented clients in simple retail theft cases. Retail theft (shoplifting) can be charged as a misdemeanor or felony depending on the value of the goods allegedly taken. Wis. Stat. 943.50 provides that if the value of the merchandise does not exceed $500 then the charge is a Class A Misdemeanor. If the value exceeds $500 but doesn’t exceed $5,000 then the charge is a Class I Felony. The class of felony increases after that amount as well. We have successfully defended clients accused of retail theft where they are accused of switching price tags (putting a lower priced tag on a higher priced piece of merchandise) and then only paying the lower amount for a more expensive item. We’ve also represented clients who are accused of just concealing an item and walking out of the store, or trying to return a stolen item for cash or credit. Even if you are guilty of the allegation we can help minimize the impact to your life, and in many instances get the charge amended and avoid jail time.
We also have experience defending clients charged with more complex forgery and embezzlement cases. For example, theft from a business setting is a common charge we have defended numerous times. We’ve represented clients accused of unauthorized use of the company credit card, expensing items that were illegitimate, and then trying to conceal those transactions by falsifying records. These cases are usually felony offenses, and our clients are often people who have never been accused of a crime before, and are scared. But we can help. If you are accused of theft in Madison or anywhere in Wisconsin, reach out for a free consultation.
Attorney Rick Coad is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and defends people charged with misdemeanor or felony theft offenses throughout the state, including: Dane County, Columbia County, Walworth County, Jefferson County, Sauk County, Dodge County, Iowa County, Green County, Rock County, Waukesha County, Fond du Lac County, Richland County, Juneau County and many others. He serves clients in Middleton, Sun Prairie, Waunakee, Portage, Monroe, Janesville, Dodgeville, Juneau, Mauston, Richland Center, Jefferson and Fort Atkinson. Contact him for a free consultation.