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§ 18.2-188 Defrauding hotels, motels, campgrounds, boardinghouses, etc

It shall be unlawful for any person, without paying therefor, and with the intent to cheat or defraud the owner or keeper to:

1. Put up at a hotel, motel, campground or boardinghouse;

2. Obtain food from a restaurant or other eating house;

3. Gain entrance to an amusement park; or

4. Without having an express agreement for credit, procure food, entertainment or accommodation from any hotel, motel, campground, boardinghouse, restaurant, eating house or amusement park. It shall be unlawful for any person, with intent to cheat or defraud the owner or keeper out of the pay therefor to obtain credit at a hotel, motel, campground, boardinghouse, restaurant or eating house for food, entertainment or accommodation by means of any false show of baggage or effects brought thereto. It shall be unlawful for any person, with intent to cheat or defraud, to obtain credit at a hotel, motel, campground, boardinghouse, restaurant, eating house or amusement park for food, entertainment or accommodation through any misrepresentation or false statement. It shall be unlawful for any person, with intent to cheat or defraud, to remove or cause to be removed any baggage or effects from a hotel, motel, campground, boardinghouse, restaurant or eating house while there is a lien existing thereon for the proper charges due from him for fare and board furnished. Any person who violates any provision of this section is, if the value of service, credit or benefit procured or obtained is $1,000 or more, guilty of a Class 5 felony or is, if the value is less than $1,000, guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.

History

The record of this law’s original creation isn’t available online. It has been modified 8 times. Those modifications are cataloged by “The Acts of Assembly,” a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly’s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1960, chapter 358; in 1974, chapter 615; in 1975, chapters 14 and 15; in 1977, chapter 178; in 1981, chapter 197; in 1993, chapter 575; in 2018, chapters 764 and 765; in 2020, chapters 89 and 401.

Code 1950, § 18.1-120; 1960, c. 358; 1974, c. 615; 1975, cc. 14, 15; 1977, c. 178; 1981, c. 197; 1993, c. 575; 2018, cc. 764, 765; 2020, cc. 89, 401.

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Court Decisions

Caldwell v. Commonwealth (SCV, 04/09/20)
. . . PRESENT: Goodwyn, Mims, Powell, Kelsey, and McCullough, JJ., and Russell and Millette, . . .
Francisca Louis, s/k/a, etc v. Commonwealth (COA, 04/01/03)
. . . BRAY, Judge. . . .
. . . Royce Ingram Perry, II v. Edward W. Murray, Director of the . . . (Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, 04/05/94)
. . . 21 F.3d 423NOTICE: Fourth Circuit I.O.P. 36.6 states that citation of unpublished dispositions is . . .
Paula Jo Smith v. Commonwealth of Virginia (COA, 12/01/20)
. . . COURT OF APPEALS OF VIRGINIA . . .
City of Alexandria v. JW ENTERPRISES, INC. (SCV, 04/15/10)
. . . 691 S.E.2d 769 (2010) . . .
Peterson v. Cooley (Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, 04/21/98)
. . . Affirmed by published opinion. Chief Judge WILKINSON wrote the opinion, in which Judge WIDENER and . . .
Fox v. Custis (Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, 07/13/83)
. . . JAMES DICKSON PHILLIPS, Circuit Judge: . . .
Fox v. Custis (Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, 07/13/83)
. . . 712 F.2d 84 . . .

Court opinions are provided by CourtListener, which is developed by the Free Law Project.

Amendment Attempts

HB2960: Hotel or restaurant services; failure to pay charges, penalty. (failed)
SB351: Grand larceny; threshold amount. (failed)
SB351: Grand larceny; threshold amount. (failed)
SB1136: Grand larceny; threshold amount. (failed)
SB1422: Crimes, several; penalties. (failed)
HB828: Larceny; increases threshold amount of goods that determines petit larceny to grand larceny. (failed)
SB125: Larceny; increases threshold amount of goods that determines petit larceny to grand larceny. (failed)
HB1810: Grand larceny; increases threshold amount of money or value of goods. (failed)
HB675: Grand larceny; increases threshold amount from $200 to $500. (failed)
SB71: Larceny; court may require accused to undergo an assessment and enter treatment program, etc. (failed)
SB72: Grand larceny; increases threshold amount from $200 to $750.
SB71: Larceny; court may require accused to undergo an assessment and enter treatment program, etc. (failed)
HB244: Grand larceny; threshold. (failed)
SB251: Grand larceny and certain property crimes; increases threshold amount of money from $200 to $1,000.
SB379: Grand larceny; threshold. (failed)
HB1369: Grand larceny; increases threshold. (failed)
HB1975: Grand larceny; threshold. (failed)
HB1996: Grand larceny; threshold. (failed)
SB379: Grand larceny; threshold. (failed)
SB1234: Grand larceny; threshold. (failed)
HB396: Grand larceny; threshold. (failed)
HB1167: Grand larceny; increases threshold amount of money taken, etc., to $1,000. (failed)
SB23: Grand larceny and certain property crimes; increases threshold amount of money taken, etc. (failed)
SB177: Grand larceny; increases threshold amount of money taken, etc., to $1,000.
SB226: Grand larceny and certain property crimes; increases threshold amount of money taken, etc.
SB235: Larceny and property crimes; threshold.
SB273: Defrauding certain businesses; penalty. (failed)
SB310: Grand larceny; increases threshold amount of money taken to $1500, etc. (failed)
HB1704: Grand larceny and certain property crimes; increases threshold amount of money taken, etc. (failed)
SB816: Grand larceny & certain property crimes; increases threshold amount of money taken, etc., to $1,000. (failed)
SB923: Grand larceny; threshold.
SB1068: Ski resorts; penalties. (failed)
HB17: Grand larceny; increases threshold amount. (failed)
HB113: Grand larceny; increases threshold amount. (failed)
HB225: Grand larceny; increases threshold. (failed)
HB706: Grand larceny; increases threshold amount. (failed)
HB1073: Grand larceny; increases threshold amount. (failed)
HB1313: Grand larceny; increases threshold amount. (failed)
HB1550: Grand larceny; increases threshold amount. (passed)
HB1570: Grand larceny and certain property crimes; threshold, penalties. (failed)
SB105: Grand larceny; increases threshold amount. (passed)
SB138: Grand larceny; increases threshold amount.
SB220: Grand larceny; increases threshold amount.
SB472: Grand larceny; increases threshold amount.
HB1651: Grand larceny; increases threshold amount. (failed)
HB101: Grand larceny; increases threshold amount. (failed)
HB263: Grand larceny; threshold.
HB286: Grand larceny; increases threshold amount. (failed)
HB995: Grand larceny; increases threshold amount. (passed)
SB788: Grand larceny; increases threshold amount. (passed)
HB107: Larceny and certain property crimes; penalties. (failed)
HB247: Grand larceny and certain property crimes; decreases threshold amount, penalty. (failed)
SB1296: Grand larceny and certain property crimes; penalties.