Armed robbery involves using or appearing to use a weapon to steal from a victim. It is usually a felony and can result in severe sentencing guidelines. Any type of weapon can make it a felony, and it can even be a federal crime. Sentences increase if the victim is harmed or other crimes are committed. The death penalty may be applied if the victim is killed during the robbery.
Armed robbery is a type of theft involving the presence, use or appearance of a weapon. Generally, this crime requires the perpetrator to use a weapon or pretend to have a weapon to scare or intimidate a victim into allowing them to take and walk away with the victim’s property. This offense is usually distinct from theft, both by the presence of the weapon and by the requirement that the property must be taken directly from the victim.
More often than not, armed robbery is classified as a felony. This is due to the severity of the threat to a victim’s well-being with a weapon, which is usually sufficient to raise the profile of the incident to a violent crime, even if no violence was perpetrated. The type of weapon used can also influence the charge and eventual conviction. In some regions, the use of a weapon is considered the most serious form of armed robbery and can result in the most severe sentencing guidelines.
While the use of a firearm can carry the most serious charges, any type of weapon can make armed robbery a felony. Weapons can include manufactured items such as knives or dangerous items such as rocks, broken bottles, pipes or chains. Typically, a misdemeanor can be charged with weaponry if the robber intended to make the victim feel threatened by the presence of an object that could be seen as a weapon. According to judicial precedent in some regions, a crime can be charged as armed robbery even if the weapon was not real, as long as the victim believed it was real and appeared to be real.
In some cases, armed robbery may even be classified as a federal crime. This usually occurs when the target of a robbery is a federal institution, such as a nationally owned bank. Interstate commerce disruption can also result in federal misdemeanor charges, which are typically much harsher than regional ones. Prison sentences for armed robbery can range from a few years to the rest of the robber’s life.
Armed robbery charges and sentences usually increase if the robber harmed the victim in any way or committed other crimes, such as damage to property, while committing the crime. The more violations occurred, the stricter the sentence. In some areas, perpetrators may be subject to the death penalty if they kill a victim during an armed robbery.
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