Larceny is a crime that involves the illegal taking of personal property belonging to another person or business without their consent. The term "larceny" is often used interchangeably with "theft," but it is more narrowly defined as the theft of personal property capable of being possessed and carried away. The FBIs Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program defines larceny-theft as the unlawful taking, carrying, leading, or riding away of property from the possession or constructive possession of another.
To be convicted of larceny, most states impose some sort of monetary value requirement for the property taken. Larceny requires a trespassory taking, meaning that the goods must be taken from the possession of another without consent. The crime of larceny has been abolished in some countries, including England, Wales, Ireland, and Northern Ireland, and has been broken up into specific crimes such as burglary, robbery, fraud, theft, and related crimes. However, larceny remains an offense in parts of the United States, Jersey, and in New South Wales, Australia.
