Good News for Thieves: Felony Limit Going Up to $1,000

The threshold for felony theft in Ohio will jump from $500 to $1,000 at the end of September, and some law enforcement officials believe it could lead to bigger shoplifting sprees.

"When you catch professional thieves, they always have $480 worth of merchandise because they know it's a misdemeanor," Strongsville Detective Lt. John Janowski said.

Now, they'll likely grab more.

"We'll find them with $980 worth of stuff," he said.

Police Chief Charles Goss agreed that people who make a living by shoplifting will take note of the new felony theft level.

"They know where those thresholds are," he said. "They know the law as well as we do."

Goss said Ohio updates its code periodically, changing the levels at which crimes become felonies due largely to inflation.

"When the code was written, $300 worth of merchandise is a lot different than $300 is today," he said.

The change may also be intended to reduce the number of cases going to Common Pleas courts. Misdemeanor offenses are heard in municipal court.

But Goss said repeat convictions on theft charges can escalate into felonies, so professional shoplifters can eventually face serious charges.

And he said Strongsville police can continue to cite theft offenders under state code, which means Ohio pays for their jail stays.

Goss said his department will , regardless of how much has been stolen.

"We just enforce the laws as they're written," he said.