Legal Question in Criminal Law in Ohio

Re: I received goods and my credit card declined

Your statement does not really ask a question, but I assume that you want to know two things: (1) are you at risk to be prosecuted for some crime? and (2) do you have to return the goods? The short answer to both questions is "YES."

Ohio has a statute that makes it a crime to receive goods or services from someone under false pretenses. It is called "Theft by deception." In this case, the merchant may believe that you gave them a credit card that was either (A) phony, or (B) maxed out. If you did that with the intent to have the merchant provide you with goods that you would not pay for, then you are guilty of theft by deception.

Even if you did not intend to get these goods without paying for them, the fact remains that you did not pay for the goods and should either pay for them or return them.

I would not talk to the detective without an experienced criminal defense attorney present. Usually these interviews are nothing more than an attempt to get you to confess to the theft offense.