Grand Larceny Law and Legal Definition
Grand larceny is the crime of theft of another's property or money over a statutorily defined value, as distinguished from petty (or petit) larceny, in which the value is below the grand larceny limit. Some states divide larceny into the categories of felony and misdemeanor, rather than grand and petit.
It is usually distinguished from embezzlement and false pretenses in that the actual taking of the property is accomplished unlawfully and without the victim's consent, and along with the taking there must be a carrying-off. It is also distinguished from burglary in that the theft does not necessarily involve unlawful breaking and entering.
The following is an example of a North Carolina statute dealing with grand larceny:
§ 14‑70. Distinctions between grand and petit larceny abolished; punishment; accessories to larceny.
All distinctions between petit and grand larceny are abolished. Unless otherwise provided by statute, larceny is a Class H felony and is subject to the same rules of criminal procedure and principles of law as to accessories before and after the fact as other felonies.
