Robbery is the unlawful taking of the property of another person against their will and with force or threat of force. It’s considered a more serious crime than other theft crimes, such as burglary and larceny, because it includes the use of violence or fear to take the victim’s property.
In the movies and on TV, we see professional criminals pointing assault weapons at bank tellers and carjacking people at gunpoint. But most states’ laws define robbery in much more general terms. The most common definition of robbery is that a person takes something of value (theft) from the immediate possession of someone else against their will, using or threatening to use force or fear. The person must have the item in their immediate control or custody for it to be a robbery.
The items stolen must be of a value greater than $1,000 to be a felony. The amount of money or other items taken is what varies from state to state, with lower values charged as misdemeanors and higher valued robberies punishable as felonies. Other aggravating factors like the use of a weapon or any injuries to the victims can increase the penalties for a robbery conviction.
A robbery can escalate into other crimes like a burglary or even murder depending on the circumstances. For example, let’s say that you robbed a home and then loaded up the stolen goods into your getaway vehicle. The owner happens to come back into the house while you’re there, and you threaten them with the intention of getting away. You can now be charged with a burglary, a robbery and a violent crime, a murder.