A Bloomfield man was arrested in Newton for alleged theft and forgeries, according to the prosecutor’s office. The man had previously been arrested on theft charges and posted a $75,000 bail, but the judge revoked his bond for undisclosed reasons. The accused man was re-arrested and is now being held on a $325,000 cash-only bond for the new theft indictment as well as the old charges.
The accused man was charged with 11 counts of second- and third-degree theft as well as third-degree forgeries. Prosecutors have not released details of the theft charges, but forgeries are often charged when a person is accused of passing checks or otherwise falsifying financial instruments.
The severity of theft charges is often determined by the amount of money involved in the theft. Those who steal very small amounts may face only misdemeanor charges, while those who steal larger sums may face felony charges. All theft charges can result in jail time, fines, probation and other punishments if the accused person is found guilty.
A criminal defense attorney may represent a person accused of theft. The attorney may attempt to help the client defend himself or herself against the charges if they are made based on false evidence or misunderstandings. In some cases, people are charged with theft who had no intention of stealing; they may simply have been the victim of a miscommunication on the part of an account holder or others. In other cases, however, an accused person may be better off accepting a plea agreement in which the accused pleads guilty in exchange for a reduced jail sentence, decreased fines or a shorter term of probation.