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Bill to Increase Felony Theft Threshold in Maine to $5,000 Upsets Retailers

March 13, 2013 posted by Steve Brownstein

A Maine legislator recently introduced a bill that would raise the felony theft threshold from $1,000 to $5,000, a move that retailers say could increase retail theft and hurt their bottom lines.

The bill would make it so any theft of merchandise valued less than $5,000 would be a misdemeanor crime punishable by up to 364 days in jail and a $2,000 fine.

State Sen. Roger Katz, who introduced the bill, said raising the threshold would reduce the burden on the state's legislative system and prisons. "No one wants to condone the stealing of anything, but from my perspective we need to reserve felonies for the most serious of crimes," he said. "It's also important because we have limited resources in our prisons and jails, and we really want to reserve those places for the most serious offenders."

Curtis Picard, the executive director of the Retail Association of Maine, said the bill would be a boon for organized crime rings who make a job out of stealing from retail stores because it would make the state have the highest felony theft threshold in the country. "We already know a lot of groups come here from out of state, and they literally steal $999 worth to stay below the felony threshold," Picard said. He explained the state's current threshold puts it on par with 13 other states and higher than 34 other states.