Legal Question in Credit and Debt Law in Georgia

This is not a "stupid college kid." This is a serious crime under � 16-9-31. For each transaction he can receive up to a year in jail and a $1000 fine. He will likely be expelled. If convicted, a theft offense will make him pretty much unemployable for life. Monday morning he should get a criminal defense lawyer. His main hope and he should get the lawyer's advice on this, is to hope his roommate doesn't prosecute, and restitution in full, immediately, MIGHT help. I eould suggest you also get your brother mental health counseling; normal college kids do not steal credit cards. (And he likely will get caught as soon as the bill comes, so each day he waits makes this worse).

This is not a credit/collection issue but a criminal law matter as outlined by Attorney Ashman. If you want to help your brother, then get him a good criminal law attorney NOW before this situation gets worse.

And I agree with Attorney Ashman that your brother needs help - what part of "thou shall not steal" does your brother not get? He either missed that lesson in Sunday school or he has some kind of problem and needs to steal to fuel that habit. Either way he needs help because he is on the downward death spiral. If he becomes a guest of the crossbar hotel, he will develop an institutional mindset after a year or so. If he was not a criminal going into jail, he will be one coming out. And he will be unemployable with a criminal record.

So it would be better to be proactive now, get this resolved with full restitution and hopefully no prosecution and get him some help. If he does a "stupid college kid" thing again, then there is not going to be a second chance and he will have to face the music on his own.