ATTORNEY ON CALL · 24/7
212 300 5196
FROM THE DEFENSE DESK / NEW YORK PENAL LAW
6 MAR 2026 · 1 MIN READ · BY TODD A. SPODEK
THE BRIEF · FILED UNDER: NEW YORK PENAL LAW · THEFT & PROPERTY CRIMES
DOCKET NO. 255 · THE DEFENSE DESK

NY Penal Law § 155.40: Grand Larceny in the Second Degree.

Learn about Grand Larceny in the Second Degree under NY Penal Law § 155.40, including legal definitions, what constitutes this felony, statutory elements, potential defenses, sentencing guidelines, penalties, and real-world examples. Understand how New York treats grand larceny involving property over $50,000 or extortion.

Todd A. Spodek
Todd A. Spodek
MANAGING PARTNER · 6 MAR 2026 · 1 MIN READ
★★★★★1,100+ FIVE-STAR GOOGLE REVIEWS
SUPER LAWYERS · 2020-25AVVO · “SUPERB”SECOND GENERATION · SINCE 1976
AS SEEN ON NETFLIX · CNN · FOX NEWS · NY POST

If you are suspected of theft in New York, grand larceny is the offense with which you could be charged. Under New York criminal law, larceny is a legal term for theft, or stealing the property of another individual with the intent of keeping that property away from its owner. It does not matter if you take it on someone else's behalf or steal it and then give it to someone else. Larceny can be carried out in several different processes, including trespassory taking, extortion, trick, embezzlement, false pretenses, or writing a bad check.

What Constitutes Grand Larceny in the Second Degree

You have committed grand larceny in the second degree under New York Penal Code § 155.40 if you unlawfully take property and either of the following applies:

  • The value of the property is greater than $50,000, or
  • The theft involves some form of extortion.

Example

LEGAL INFORMATION, NOT LEGAL ADVICE · STATUTES CHANGE - VERIFY CURRENT LAW · ATTORNEY ADVERTISING
THE AUTHOR'S RECORD · PRIOR RESULTS DO NOT GUARANTEE A SIMILAR OUTCOME
Acquitted.
$26M MONEY LAUNDERING
Dismissed.
RICO · 10-YEAR MINIMUM FACED
Six months.
$12M PONZI · YEARS ASKED
ALL RESULTS →
★★★★★VERIFIED CLIENT · FEDERAL CASE · 2022 · VIA GOOGLE REVIEWS
"By the time our free consultation was over, we left at ease."
1,100+ FIVE-STAR GOOGLE REVIEWS →
RISK FREE · CONFIDENTIAL · 24/7

Reading is good. Calling is better.

Answered within 24 hours, guaranteed. Some stories are better told out loud -

212 300 5196
AFTER YOU REACH OUT
01A person answers - not a service. Day or night. 02Free, confidential consultation - ask us anything, regardless of how long it takes. 03Strategy starts the same day - and you hold the senior partner's cell number.
★★★★★1,100+ FIVE-STAR GOOGLE REVIEWS
READ THEM →
INTAKE · PRIVILEGED & CONFIDENTIAL
24/7
01
02
03
04
05
ANSWERED WITHIN 24 HOURS, GUARANTEED OR CALL 212 300 5196
EVERYTHING YOU SHARE IS PROTECTED BY ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE FROM THE FIRST WORD.