Criminal tampering is an offense that is chargeable in three degrees, the lowest being a class B misdemeanor. Criminal tampering is the higher level of a trespassing type charge, such that a person who has no reasonable grounds to do so is on the property of another. The criminal aspect is when the person tampers with the property they are on with the intent to cause a substantial inconvenience to the rightful owner of to a third person. While these charges begin as a low-level misdemeanor, they can become serious quite quickly if not handled properly. Call now for a free consultation with one of experienced New York criminal attorneys to discuss your case and see how we can assist you.
This offense becomes a class A misdemeanor when a person who has no right to do so tampers with the property of an electric, gas, sewer or water works company, a telephone company or common carrier, or public utility that is operated by a municipality or district. This also includes if a person has made an illegal connection to one of these public utilities.
If a person tampers with or damages the property of a public utility in such a way that causes substantial interruption or impairment of their services, the charge becomes a class D felony. This level of felony offense can lead to up multiple years behind bars if convicted. The court has the discretion to sentence a person to up to seven years for the conviction of this level of the offense.
Call now for a free consultation with one of experienced New York criminal attorneys to discuss your case. Our team has over 20 years of experience dealing with criminal charges in New York State and is extremely adept at navigating the complex court procedures and gaining favorable outcomes for our clients. As a former prosecutor, our lead attorney knows not only how to work as a defense attorney but is also familiar with the procedures of the District Attorneys office.
Having this unique perspective allows us to help our clients with their charges, no matter how serious. Specifically, with this offense, while it may begin as being only a low-level misdemeanor, it can become a mid-level felony very quickly. As with any criminal charges, regardless of what the possible sentence could be upon conviction, a criminal conviction can stay on your record and cause multiple issues later in life. Our team can help you with the current criminal charges you are facing related to this offense with the objective of lowering the charges as much as possible to prevent future complications.
The sooner you call to begin discussing your charges, the sooner our team can begin working on formulating your defense and working with the court and assigned prosecutor to handle your charges. Our office has handled cases for multiple clients and have been extremely successful in having charges dropped or in obtaining a plea deal that lowered the overall charges in attempt to disrupt your life as little as possible.