This past week, a man allegedly jumped into a car, in Randolph, that did not belong to him. The car’s owner apparently visited a laundromat, parked outside, and left the keys in the vehicle. The suspect, after getting into the car with the left-behind keys in it, drove north on Route 28, where he was spotted by police officers in Randolph. The police officers tried to box in the stolen vehicle, but the driver sped away. The chase led to Milton. Suddenly, while being chased by police, the suspect crashed into a tree in Milton, so violently, that the stolen car was almost sliced in two.
The man had to be extricated from the car by the Jaws of Life. He was taken from the wreckage to Boston Medical Center.
As a Boston-area motor vehicle theft defense attorney, I can tell you this: Sentencing for larceny of a Massachusetts motor vehicle ranges from a maximum of 15 years in state prison, a maximum of 2 ½ years in a county jail, a fine of up to $15,000, or both a prison sentence and a fine. They are very severe punishments.
Among Massachusetts theft crimes, motor vehicle theft is one of the most common crimes in our state. It is defined and governed by a law that forbids receiving, stealing, buying, concealing or possessing a motor vehicle or trailer, which someone knew or had reason to know had been stolen. To successfully beat these charges, anyone charged with these types of crimes will need a a very experienced Massachusetts criminal defense lawyer. We do not recommend hiring an attorney that does not have a successful track record of winning these types of cases.