545.19 POSSESSION OF CRIMINAL TOOLS.

545.19 POSSESSION OF CRIMINAL TOOLS.

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2025-04 (current)
Sheffield Lake Overview
Codified Ordinances of Sheffield Lake, OH
CODIFIED ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF SHEFFIELD LAKE, OHIO
CERTIFICATION
ROSTER OF OFFICIALS
ADOPTING ORDINANCE NO. 116-84
COMPARATIVE SECTION TABLE
TABLES OF SPECIAL ORDINANCES OF SHEFFIELD LAKE
CHARTER
PART ONE - ADMINISTRATIVE CODE
PART THREE - TRAFFIC CODE
PART FIVE - GENERAL OFFENSES CODE
CHAPTER 501 General Provisions and Penalty
CHAPTER 505 Animals and Fowl
CHAPTER 509 Disorderly Conduct and Peace Disturbance
CHAPTER 513 Drug Abuse Control
CHAPTER 517 Gambling
CHAPTER 521 Health, Safety and Sanitation
CHAPTER 525 Law Enforcement and Public Office
CHAPTER 529 Liquor Control
CHAPTER 531 Noise Control
CHAPTER 533 Obscenity and Sex Offenses
CHAPTER 537 Offenses Against Persons
CHAPTER 541 Property Offenses
CHAPTER 545 Theft and Fraud
545.01 DEFINITIONS.
545.02 DETERMINING PROPERTY VALUE IN THEFT OFFENSE.
545.03 PROPERTY EXCEPTIONS AS FELONY OFFENSE.
545.04 DETENTION OF SHOPLIFTERS; RIGHTS OF MUSEUMS AND LIBRARIES.
545.05 MISDEMEANOR THEFT.
545.06 UNAUTHORIZED USE OF A VEHICLE; VEHICLE TRESPASS.
545.07 INSURANCE FRAUD.
545.08 UNAUTHORIZED USE OF PROPERTY.
545.09 PASSING BAD CHECKS.
545.10 MISUSE OF CREDIT CARDS.
545.11 MAKING OR USING SLUGS.
545.12 TAMPERING WITH COIN MACHINES.
545.13 CRIMINAL SIMULATION.
545.14 TAMPERING WITH RECORDS.
545.15 SECURING WRITINGS BY DECEPTION.
545.16 PERSONATING AN OFFICER.
545.17 DEFRAUDING CREDITORS.
545.18 RECEIVING STOLEN PROPERTY.
545.19 POSSESSION OF CRIMINAL TOOLS.
545.20 FORGERY OF IDENTIFICATION CARDS.
545.21 TAMPERING WITH AND THEFT OF UTILITIES.
545.22 IDENTITY FRAUD.
545.99 PENALTY.
CHAPTER 549 Weapons and Explosives
CHAPTER 553 Railroads
CHAPTER 557 Watercraft
CHAPTER 561 Weeds and Grass
PART SEVEN - BUSINESS REGULATION CODE
PART NINE - STREETS, UTILITIES AND PUBLIC SERVICES CODE
PART ELEVEN - PLANNING AND ZONING CODE
PART THIRTEEN - BUILDING CODE
PART FIFTEEN - FIRE PREVENTION CODE
OH
Sheffield Lake
Codified Ordinances of Sheffield Lake, OH
545.19 POSSESSION OF CRIMINAL TOOLS.
CHAPTER 545 Theft and Fraud
545.14 TAMPERING WITH RECORDS.
   (a)    No person, knowing the person has no privilege to do so, and with purpose to defraud or knowing that the person is facilitating a fraud, shall do any of the following:
      (1)   Falsify, destroy, remove, conceal, alter, deface or mutilate any writing, computer software, data, or record;
      (2)   Utter any writing or record, knowing it to have been tampered with as provided in subsection (a)(1) hereof.
   (b)   Whoever violates this section is guilty of tampering with records, a misdemeanor of the first degree. If the violation involves data or computer software the value of which or loss to the victim is one thousand dollars ($1,000) or more, or if the writing or record is a will unrevoked at the time of the offense, tampering with records is a felony and shall be prosecuted under appropriate State law. (ORC 2913.42)
545.15 SECURING WRITINGS BY DECEPTION.
   (a)   No person, by deception, shall cause another to execute any writing that disposes of or encumbers property, or by which a pecuniary obligation is incurred.
   (b)   Whoever violates this section is guilty of securing writings by deception, a misdemeanor of the first degree. Securing writings by deception is a felony and shall be prosecuted under appropriate State law if:
      (1)   The value of the property or obligation involved is one thousand dollars ($1,000) or more; or
      (2)   The victim of the offense is an elderly person, disabled adult, active duty service member or spouse of an active duty service member.
         (ORC 2913.43)
545.16 PERSONATING AN OFFICER.
   (a)   No person, with purpose to defraud or knowing that he is facilitating a fraud, or with purpose to induce another to purchase property or services, shall personate a law enforcement officer, or an inspector, investigator or agent of any governmental agency.
   (b)   Whoever violates this section is guilty of personating an officer, a misdemeanor of the first degree. (ORC 2913.44)
545.17 DEFRAUDING CREDITORS.
   (a)   No person, with purpose to defraud one or more of the person’s creditors, shall do any of the following:
      (1)   Remove, conceal, destroy, encumber, convey or otherwise deal with any of the person’s property.
      (2)   Misrepresent or refuse to disclose to a fiduciary appointed to administer or manage the person’s affairs or estate, the existence, amount or location of any of the person’s property, or any other information regarding such property that the person is legally required to furnish to the fiduciary.
   (b)   Whoever violates this section is guilty of defrauding creditors, a misdemeanor of the first degree. If the value of the property involved is one thousand dollars ($1,000) or more, defrauding creditors is a felony and shall be prosecuted under appropriate State law.
(ORC 2913.45)
545.18 RECEIVING STOLEN PROPERTY.
   (a)   No person shall receive, retain or dispose of property of another, knowing or having reasonable cause to believe that the property has been obtained through commission of a theft offense.
   
   (b)   It is not a defense to a charge of receiving stolen property in violation of this section that the property was obtained by means other than through the commission of a theft offense if the property was explicitly represented to the accused person as being obtained through the commission of a theft offense.
   (c)   Whoever violates this section is guilty of receiving stolen property, a misdemeanor of the first degree. Receiving stolen property is a felony and shall be prosecuted under appropriate State law if:
      (1)   The value of the property involved is one thousand dollars ($1,000) or more; or
      (2)   The property involved is:
         A.   Listed in Section 545.03; or
         B.   A motor vehicle as defined in Ohio R.C. 4501.01; or
         C.   A dangerous drug as defined in Ohio R.C. 4729.01.
         D.   A special purchase article as defined in Ohio R.C. 4737.04 or a bulk merchandise container as defined in Ohio R.C. 4737.012.
            (ORC 2913.51)
545.19 POSSESSION OF CRIMINAL TOOLS.
   (a)   No person shall possess or have under the person’s control any substance, device, instrument, or article, with purpose to use it criminally.
   (b)   Each of the following constitutes prima-facie evidence of criminal purpose:
      (1)   Possession or control of any dangerous ordnance, or the materials or parts for making dangerous ordnance, in the absence of circumstances indicating the dangerous ordnance, materials, or parts are intended for legitimate use;
      (2)   Possession or control of any substance, device, instrument, or article designed or specially adapted for criminal use;
      (3)   Possession or control of any substance, device, instrument, or article commonly used for criminal purposes, under circumstances indicating the item is intended for criminal use.
   (c)   Whoever violates this section is guilty of possessing criminal tools, a misdemeanor of the first degree. If the circumstances indicate that the substance, device, instrument, or article involved in the offense was intended for use in the commission of a felony, possessing criminal tools is a felony and shall be prosecuted under appropriate State law.
(ORC 2923.24)
545.20 FORGERY OF IDENTIFICATION CARDS.
   (a)   No person shall knowingly do either of the following:
      (1)   Forge an identification card;
      (2)   Sell or otherwise distribute a card that purports to be an identification card, knowing it to have been forged.
      (3)   As used in this section, "identification card" means a card that includes personal information or characteristics of an individual, a purpose of which is to establish the identity of the bearer described on the card, whether the words "identity," "identification," "identification card" or other similar words appear on the card.
   (b)   Whoever violates subsection (a) hereof is guilty of forging identification cards or selling or distributing forged identification cards. Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, forging or selling or distributing forged identification cards is a misdemeanor of the first degree. If the offender previously has been convicted of a violation of this section or Ohio R.C. 2913.31 (B), forging identification cards or selling or distributing forged identification cards is a misdemeanor of the first degree and, in addition, the court shall impose upon the offender a fine of not less than two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00).
(ORC 2913.31)
545.21 TAMPERING WITH AND THEFT OF UTILITIES.
   (a)   No person shall knowingly, without the utility’s consent, with intent to violate subsection (b) hereof:
      (1)   Tamper with a gas, electric, steam or water meter, conduit or attachment of a utility;
      (2)   Reconnect a gas, electric, steam of water meter, conduit or attachment of a utility that has been disconnected by the utility.
   In a prosecution under subsection (a)(1) hereof, proof that a meter, conduit or attachment of a utility has been tampered with is prima-facie evidence that the person who is obligated to pay for the service rendered through the meter, conduit or attachment, and who is in possession or control of the meter, conduit or attachment at the time the tampering occurred, has caused the tampering with intent to violate subsection (b) hereof.
   In a prosecution under subsection (a)(2) hereof, proof that a meter, conduit or attachment disconnected by a utility has been reconnected without the consent of the utility is prima-facie evidence that the person in possession or control of the meter, conduit or attachment at the time of the reconnection has reconnected the meter.
   As used in this section, “utility” means any electric light company, gas company, natural gas company, pipe-line company, waterworks company or heating or cooling company, as defined in Ohio R.C. 4905.03(A)(4), (5), (6), (7), (8) or (9) and elsewhere, its lessees, trustees or receivers, or any similar utility owned or operated by a political subdivision.
   As used in this section, to “tamper” means to interfere with, damage or bypass a utility meter, conduit or attachment with the intent to impede the correct registration of a meter or the proper functions of a conduit or attachment so as to reduce the amount of utility service that is registered on such meter.
   (b)   No person shall knowingly consume any gas, electricity, steam or water that has not been correctly registered because a meter, conduit or attachment of a utility has been tampered with, or knowingly use service that has been disconnected by a utility and reconnected without the utility’s consent.
   (c)   Such utility shall notify its customers, on an annual basis, of the consequences of tampering with or bypassing a meter.
   (d)   Whoever violates subsection (a) hereof is guilty of tampering with utility equipment, a misdemeanor of the first degree, provided the cost of the gas, electricity, steam or water stolen, plus the cost of repair or replacement of the meters, conduits or attachments damaged in violation of subsection (a)(1) or (a)(2) hereof is less than three hundred dollars ($300.00) and provided the offender has not previously been convicted of a violation of subsection (a) hereof. Whoever violates subsection (a) hereof shall make restitution to the utility for the cost of repair or replacement of the meters, conduits or attachments damaged and for the value of the gas, electricity, steam or water consumed.
   (e)   Whoever violates subsection (b) hereof is guilty of theft of utility service, a misdemeanor of the first degree, provided the value of the gas, electricity, steam or water is less than three hundred dollars ($300.00) and provided the offender has not previously been convicted of a violation of subsection (b) hereof. Whoever violates subsection (b) hereof shall make restitution to the utility for the value of the gas, electricity, steam or water consumed in violation of that subsection. (Ord. 42-98. Passed 10-27-98.)
545.22 IDENTITY FRAUD.
   (EDITOR’S NOTE: Former Section 545.22 has been deleted from the Codified Ordinances. Ohio R.C. 2913.49, from which Section 545.22 was derived, has been reclassified from a misdemeanor to a felony offense.)
545.99 PENALTY.
   (EDITOR'S NOTE: See Section 501.99 for penalties applicable to any misdemeanor classification.)

Disclaimer: This Code of Ordinances and/or any other documents that appear on this site may not reflect the most current legislation adopted by the Municipality. American Legal Publishing provides these documents for informational purposes only. These documents should not be relied upon as the definitive authority for local legislation. Additionally, the formatting and pagination of the posted documents varies from the formatting and pagination of the official copy. The official printed copy of a Code of Ordinances should be consulted prior to any action being taken.

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Detected legislative history

• Ordinances of Sheffield Lake, OH
• ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF SHEFFIELD LAKE, OHIO
• ORDINANCE NO. 116-84
• ORDINANCES OF SHEFFIELD LAKE
• orderly Conduct and Peace Disturbance
• ORDS
• ord;
• ord, knowing it to have been tampered with as provided in subsection (a)(1) hereof
• ords, a misdemeanor of the first degree
• ord is a will unrevoked at the time of the offense, tampering with records is a felony and shall be prosecuted under appropriate State law
• ordnance, or the materials or parts for making dangerous ordnance, in the absence of circumstances indicating the dangerous ordnance, materials, or parts are intended for legitimate u
• ords "identity," "identification," "identification card" or other similar words appear on the card
• Ord. 42-98
• Ordinances
• Ordinances and/or any other documents that appear on this site may not reflect the most current legislation adopted by the Municipality
• Ordinances should be consulted prior to any action being taken
• Ordinances or other documents posted on this site, please contact the Municipality directly or contact American Legal Publishing toll-free at 800-445-5588

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