Felony Theft Amount and Penalties in North Carolina

Larceny of goods of the value of more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) is a Class H felony; where the value is not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), it is a Class 1 misdemeanor. Larceny is a felony regardless of value if it is from the person; committed pursuant to a violation of G.S. 14-51, 14-53, 14-54, 14-54.1 or 14-57; of an explosive or incendiary device or substance; of any firearm; of a record or paper in the custody of the North Carolina State Archives; or committed after at least four prior larceny-type convictions.

Felonies are graded Class A, B1, B2, C, D, E, F, G, H and I and sentenced under structured sentencing using a felony punishment chart: rows are offense classes and columns are prior record levels I through VI, and each cell gives aggravated, presumptive and mitigated ranges for the minimum term (§ 15A-1340.17(c)). Class A — 'Life Imprisonment With Parole or Without Parole, or Death, as Established by Statute.' For Class B1, the chart prescribes life imprisonment without parole in the highest prior-record cells. The maximum term is set from the minimum using statutory tables: for Classes F through I by the table in subsection (d); for Classes B1 through E by the table in subsection (e) (minimums up to 339 months), or, for minimums of 340 months or more, the minimum plus 20% of the minimum, rounded to the next highest month, plus 12 months (subsection (e1)); reportable sex offenses in Classes B1-E add 60 months instead (subsection (f)). Fines: any judgment that includes imprisonment 'may also include a fine'; unless otherwise provided, 'the amount of the fine is in the discretion of the court' (§ 15A-1340.17(b)).

Misdemeanors are Class A1, 1, 2 and 3, sentenced by class and prior conviction level (Level I no priors; Level II one to four; Level III five or more) (§ 15A-1340.23(c)). Class A1 — 1-60 days (Level I), 1-75 days (Level II), 1-150 days (Level III). Class 1 — 1-45 days, 1-45 days, 1-120 days. Class 2 — 1-30 days, 1-45 days, 1-60 days. Class 3 — 1-10 days (Level I), 1-15 days (Level II), 1-20 days (Level III). Fines: unless otherwise provided, the maximum fine is two hundred dollars ($200.00) for a Class 3 misdemeanor and one thousand dollars ($1,000) for a Class 2 misdemeanor; the fine for a Class 1 or Class A1 misdemeanor is in the discretion of the court (§ 15A-1340.23(b)). A person convicted of a Class 3 misdemeanor who has no more than three prior convictions receives a fine only (§ 15A-1340.23(d)).