You need to know the differences between petty theft (pilferage), which is considered as an administrative offense and theft, which entails criminal penalties.
Art. 51 of the Code of Administrative Offences contains the concept of petty theft – stealing someone else’s property by theft, fraud, misappropriation or embezzlement.
- Committing petty theft pulls the following penalties:
- a fine of 170 UAH. up to 510 UAH., or correctional labor (in this case, the offender forcibly deducted 1/5 of his salary (20%) of his place of work). It can also be assigned (awarded) administrative detention, that is forcible placement in a temporary detention facility (or other institution, by the decision of the Ministry of Interior (police). The period from 5 to 10 days. Administrative detention can only be imposed by the court.
- If a person has committed a petty theft, and he suffered the administrative punishment, and for a year has made it again the punishment will be as follows:
- A fine of 510 UAH. up to 850 UAH., or correctional labor for a term of one to two months (with deduction of 20% of earnings), or administrative arrest (for 10 to 15 days).
Theft is considered small if the value of the property (things) does not exceed 121 hryvnia.
There is also a criminal LIABILITY for theft (secret stealing of another’s property (stuff). Art. 185 of the Criminal Code provides next punishment:
- a fine of 850 UAH. up to 1700 UAH.;
- public works (unpaid community service, out of work or study time) for a period from 80 to 240 hours (no more than 4 hours per day);
- corrective works for a term of 6 months to 2 years (on workplace forced expulsion 1/5 of his salary (20%) state);
- arrest for a period of 1 to 6 months;
- deprivation of liberty (correctional facility, jail) for a period from 1 to 3 years.
Theft committed repeatedly or by prior agreement by a group of persons (i.e. the offense is committed by multiple (two or more) people who have agreed to commit a crime):
- arrest for a term from 3 to 6 months;
- restriction of liberty from 1 to 5 years;
- imprisonment for a term from 1 to 5 years.
Stealing of property, when it is due to entry into a dwelling or other premises or warehouse, as well as theft, the result of which was inflicted considerable damage (loss) to the victim (losses from 1700 to 4250 UAH.), shall be punished by imprisonment for a period from 3 up to 6 years.
Theft committed on a large scale (more than 152 thousand 250 UAH.) shall be punished by imprisonment for a term from 5 to 8 years.
Theft committed on a large scale exceeding 365 000 400 UAH., or by an organized group (a stable association, where there is an organizer, accomplice, executors) shall be punished by imprisonment from 7 to 12 years with confiscation of (mandatory withdrawal) offender’s property.
UAH = Ukrainian hryvnia (our national currency, money).