From our attorneys
Financial exploitation of an elderly person or disabled adult is charged under § 825.103, Florida Statutes — a felony at any dollar amount, with thresholds that climb to a first-degree felony at $50,000. Who the statute protects, the six ways it defines exploitation, the transfer presumption, and why these cases so often involve family members and caregivers.
Grand theft in Florida starts at $750 and climbs to a 30-year felony at $100,000 — and some property, like cars and firearms, is grand theft at any value. How § 812.014 grades the charge, how value is actually proven, and where the defense fights.
Fraud charges in Florida usually mean organized fraud or communications fraud under § 817.034 — and organized fraud is a felony at any dollar amount, with no misdemeanor tier. How the charges are graded, how they differ from theft, why counts multiply, and when the case turns federal.
Identity theft in Florida is charged as criminal use of personal identification information under § 817.568 — a felony from the very first offense, with mandatory minimum prison terms as the dollar amounts and victim counts climb, and a federal system that adds a mandatory two-year consecutive sentence. How the charges are graded and what actually matters in the defense.
Florida has no separate crime called embezzlement — it is prosecuted as theft under § 812.014, and the dollar amount decides whether that means a misdemeanor or a 30-year felony. How the charges are graded, when the case turns federal, and what actually matters in the defense.