Los Angeles Petty Theft Cases Can Get Quite Strange. (But This Story Out of Wisconsin Has to be One of the Strangest Yet of 2013)

Los Angeles petty theft cases are often curious — not just because of the legal complexities and the “drama” — but also because of the fascinating “stuff” people choose to steal.

For instance, in 2012, it suddenly became very popular for people to steal bottles of Tide and then sell the detergent on the black market.

Because of the diversity of items that people steal — and the diversity of schemes pulled off — every theft defense case is different.

However, as any experienced Los Angeles petty theft defense lawyer will tell you, human beings behave unpredictably in remarkably similar ways. So even if what you did was strange — and perhaps never before done in human history — the odds are very good that a competent attorney can see your case in context and develop an effective strategy for you.


Example of a Very Eccentric Theft Case
This case comes out of Janesville, Wisconsin. 43-year-old Steven Stoikes is about to stand trial for stealing over $2 million in copper from his ex-employer, Butters-Fetting, and then hocking that copper to a recycling outfit, Alter Metal Recycling. Stoikes had been living in a veteran’s home and getting treatment for carbon monoxide-induced brain damage.

Stoikes faces five counts of felony theft. Investigators believe he purchased copper tubing on behalf of his employer (ostensibly for contract jobs) and then just sold that copper for scrap and pocketed the “profit.”

Meanwhile, and also very curiously, court documents say that he generated a net loss of $3 million to a local casino, Ho Chunk. Stoikes paid $24 million to the casino and won $21 million.

That’s a lot of money exchanged!

No matter how strange or how eccentric your case is — or how scared and anxious you are about the charges — you can improve your situation significantly by getting good legal help as soon as you can. Connect with the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers now for powerful help and insight into your Los Angeles petty theft charges.