Introduced Version
Senate Bill 698 History
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Key: Green = existing Code. Red = new code to be enacted
Senate Bill No. 698
(By Senators Caruth and Minard)
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[Introduced March 21, 2005; referred to the Committee
on the Judiciary.]
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A BILL to amend and reenact §61-3-24 of the Code of West Virginia,
1931, as amended, relating to providing an enhanced criminal
penalty for obtaining money, property and services by false
pretenses from persons sixty-five years of age and older.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §61-3-24
of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended,
be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 3. CRIMES AGAINST PROPERTY.
§61-3-24. Obtaining money, property and services by false
pretenses; disposing of property to defraud
creditors; penalties; enhanced penalties if victim
sixty-five years of age or older.
(a) (1) If a person obtains from another by any false
pretense, token or representation, with intent to defraud, any
money, goods or other property which may be the subject of larceny; or
(2) If a person obtains on credit from another any money,
goods or other property which may be the subject of larceny, by
representing that there is money due him or her or to become due
him or her, and assigns the claim for such money, in writing, to
the person from whom he or she obtains such money, goods or other
property and afterwards collects the money due or to become due,
without the consent of the assignee and with the intent to defraud;
(3) Such That person is guilty of larceny. If the value of
the money, goods or other property is one thousand dollars or more,
such the person is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction thereof,
shall be imprisoned in the penitentiary a state correctional
facility not less than one year nor more than ten years or, in the
discretion of the court, be confined in the county or regional jail
not more than one year and or be fined not more than two thousand
five hundred dollars, or both fined and imprisoned: Provided, That
if the person against whom the larceny was committed is sixty-five
years of age or older, the person shall be confined in a state
correctional facility not less than three years nor more than
fifteen years or be fined not more than five thousand dollars, or
both fined and imprisoned. If the value of the money, goods or
other property is less than one thousand dollars, such the person
is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be
confined in the county or regional jail not more than one year or fined not more than two thousand five hundred dollars, or both
fined and imprisoned.
(b) If a person obtains by any false pretense, token or
representation, with intent to defraud, the signature of another to
a writing, the false making of which would be forgery, the person
is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction thereof, shall be
imprisoned in the penitentiary a state correctional facility not
less than one year nor more than five years or, in the discretion
of the court, be confined in jail not more than one year and or
fined not more than two thousand five hundred dollars, or both
fined and imprisoned.
(c) (1) If a person removes any of his or her property out of
any county with the intent to prevent the same from being levied
upon by any execution; or
(2) If a person secretes, assigns or conveys or otherwise
disposes of any of his or her property with the intent to defraud
any creditor or to prevent the property from being made liable for
payment of debts; or
(3) If a person receives the property of another with the
intent to defraud any creditor or to prevent the property from
being made liable for the payment of debts;
(4) The person is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction
thereof, shall be fined not more than two thousand five hundred
dollars and or be confined in a county or regional jail not more than one year, or both fined and imprisoned.
(d) If a person, firm or corporation obtains labor, services
or any other such thing of value from another by any false
pretense, token or representation, with intent to defraud, the
person, firm or corporation is guilty of theft of services. If the
value of the labor, services or any other such thing of value is
one thousand dollars or more, the person, firm or corporation is
guilty of a felony and, upon conviction thereof, shall be
imprisoned in the penitentiary a state correctional facility not
less than one year nor more than ten years or, in the discretion of
the court, be confined in jail not more than one year and or be
fined not more than two thousand five hundred dollars, or both
fined and imprisoned. If the value of the labor, services or any
other such thing of value is less than one thousand dollars, the
person, firm or corporation is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon
conviction thereof, shall be confined in jail not more than one
year or fined not more than two thousand five hundred dollars, or
both in the discretion of the court fined and imprisoned.
(e) Theft of services includes the obtaining of a stop payment
order on a check, draft or order for payment of money owed for
services performed in good faith and in substantial compliance with
a written or oral contract for services, with the fraudulent intent
to permanently deprive the provider of such labor, services or
other such thing of value of the payment represented by such check, draft or order. Notwithstanding the penalties set forth elsewhere
in this section, any person, firm or corporation violating the
provisions of this subsection is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon
conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than two times the face
value of the check, draft or order.
(f) Prosecution for an offense under this section does not bar
or otherwise affect adversely any right or liability to damages,
forfeiture or other civil remedy arising from any or all elements
of the criminal offense.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to provide an enhanced
criminal penalty for obtaining money, property and services by
false pretenses from persons sixty-five years of age and older.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from
the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would
be added.
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