Stealing Pennies In Texas? Don’t – It’s A Full On Felony

Texas has always been a pretty "no nonsense" state when it comes to crime but did you know stealing a penny was made a felony?

Yep, swiping a penny was made a full on felony back in 2011 as part of a bill aimed at stopping metal theft. Snatching someone else's aluminum cans also became a felony.

Normally, stealing anything worth less than $2,500 just warrants a misdemeanor unless certain other conditions are met. A bill introduced in 2011 changed that big time for penny and beer can thieves.

When rising metal prices sparked a wave of thefts, Texas legislators decided to get tough and passed Senate Bill 694 which really ramped up the penalties for metal theft. The way the bill was worded though caused an unintended consequence.

Why Is Stealing A Penny In Texas A Felony?

In 2011, Gov. Rick Perry signed Senate Bill 694, which edited a line in the penal code focused on theft valued at less than $20,000. The law originally classified such theft as a state jail felony if at least 50 percent of the stolen item was made of certain metals, such as copper or aluminum. SB 694, authored by state Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, struck out the 50 percent threshold, which allowed items of any value with even tiny amounts of copper to fall under the statute. - texastribune

It's not like Texas was after serial penny thieves or anything but, since pennies are 2.5 percent copper, they fit the criteria. Meaning, that penny you picked up off the ground could get you in real trouble if whoever dropped it wants to be a jerk about it.

Even a $20 beer run becomes a felony if the thief is charged with metal theft instead of shoplifting. The guys that pulled these mega beer runs last year probably would have gotten life.