New Jersey Criminal Defense Attorney

Theft by Deception Charges or Accusations


If you have been charged with Theft by Deception in New Jersey or any theft related offense in New Jersey call our office immediately for a free consultation.

Theft by Deception –  What does it mean?

In New Jersey a person can be charged with Theft by Deception if they “purposely obtain property of another by deception”. N.J.S.A. 2C:20-4. The law covers a wide variety of situations including those involving a failure of home improvement contractors to perform work after receiving payment. A person convicted of Theft by Deception may be exposed to a prison or jail sentence depending on the value of the property allegedly stolen.

You Need An Experienced Criminal Defense Attorney – The Law Offices of William D. Ware, Esq., Will Explore all of Your Options – Including Alternatives to Jail

  • Attorney William D. Ware has over twenty years of criminal trial experience. As a former Prosecutor and now a criminal defense attorney, Mr. Ware has handled thousands of Theft by Deception and theft related cases.
  • Attorney William D. Ware has been Certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Certified Criminal Trial Attorney. Attorney William D. Ware is one of approximately 250 lawyers in the State certified by the New Jersey Supreme Court as a criminal trial attorney. To put that number in perspective, there are over 80,000 lawyers in the State of New Jersey but only one half of 1 percent of attorneys in the State have this designation. Many of the Certified Criminal Trial Attorneys are in government service or are retired, so even fewer practice criminal defense law privately. Additionally, the certification must be renewed every five years. Therefore, Mr. Ware has to continue his education and keep up to date on today’s laws. Non-certified or less experienced criminal defense lawyers often hire a Certified Criminal Trial Attorney to take important cases before a judge and jury.
  • At the Law Offices of William D. Ware, Esq., we have been extremely successful in winning Theft by Deception cases at trial, obtaining probationary terms rather than jail sentences for our clients, or convincing the Prosecutor’s Office to dismiss the charges where appropriate.
  • In some cases, we are able to get the theft by deception charges downgraded to a lesser charge as part of the plea negotiations. We will also explore the possibility of entry into a Pre-trial Intervention Program (PTI) where appropriate. PTI is a diversionary program that allows you to put your case on hold for a short period of time. Completion of PTI (usually a 1 year program) results in a dismissal of your charges at the end of the PTI term.

We have seen far too many cases where a person has been charged with Theft by Deception despite never having intended to steal anything. “Intent to deceive” is an element of the crime that the Prosecutor is obligated to prove. When we take a New Jersey Theft by Deception or Theft case, attorney William D. Ware, Esq. has the training, and experience to attack the prosecutors lack of proof and exploit any mistakes that the police may have made in gathering evidence.

Free Consultation with an Experienced Theft by Deception Attorney and Former Prosecutor

Mr. Ware offers a free consultation in which you can openly discuss the specifics of your Theft by Deception or Theft related charges, explore potential mistakes in the police investigation and available defenses for whatever New Jersey Theft by Deception or Theft related allegation you are facing. Call 908-955-7065 to talk with an Mr. Ware today.