A $900 figure circulating in discussions about North Carolina theft laws may give the impression that stealing property below that amount does not result in criminal charges. That is not how the state’s theft laws work.
A recent case involving just $149.54 highlights the difference between the value of stolen property and the specific offense a person can be accused of committing.
Police in Cary allege that 30-year-old Likitha Panasa took merchandise from a Target store and later returned the items using an old receipt. According to the allegations, the receipt was used to obtain $149.54 from the retailer.
Although the amount involved was far below $900, Panasa is facing a felony charge. The case is therefore an example of why simply looking at the dollar value of the merchandise does not tell the entire story.
READ: Ex-Google engineer gets nearly 1 year in prison for stealing AI chip secrets for China (September 2, 2026)
The allegation against Panasa is not limited to ordinary larceny. She is accused of obtaining property by false pretenses, with the alleged use of an old receipt playing a role in the case. In other words, authorities allege that the retailer was induced to hand over money based on a false representation.
That distinction matters under North Carolina law.
For a standard larceny offense, the value of the property can determine the classification of the crime. Generally, when the property involved is worth $1,000 or less, ordinary larceny is treated as a Class 1 misdemeanor. Higher-value property can lead to more serious charges depending on the circumstances.
But that does not create a rule allowing people to steal property below a particular dollar amount without consequences.
The circumstances surrounding an alleged theft can result in different criminal charges. Conduct involving deception, fraud or false representations can be treated differently from a straightforward allegation that someone simply took property belonging to another person.
That appears to be the key issue in the Cary case.
The alleged sequence of events is significant. Police say Panasa first took merchandise from the Target store and subsequently used an old receipt to return it. Rather than simply leaving with merchandise without paying, the allegation involves an additional step in which a receipt was allegedly used to obtain money from the retailer.
READ: FBI, Australian police arrest two cybercrime suspects (August 31, 2026)
As a result, the case demonstrates why claims that “you can steal under $900 in North Carolina” are misleading. There is no legal threshold that makes low-value theft permissible. The monetary value can affect the severity of a charge, but it does not eliminate criminal liability.
The distinction is particularly important when a case involves allegations of deception. A person accused of taking a relatively inexpensive item and a person accused of using false information or documentation to obtain money from a business may face different charges, even if the dollar amount involved is relatively small.
The $149.54 figure in the Cary case therefore should not be interpreted as evidence that theft below $900 is somehow allowed under North Carolina law. Instead, it shows how the alleged method used to obtain property or money can matter alongside its value.
It is also important to distinguish an arrest or criminal charge from a conviction. Panasa has been accused of the offense, but she has not been convicted. She is presumed innocent unless prosecutors prove the allegations against her in court.