Legal Question in Criminal Law in Virginia

Re: laws on shoplifting

Petit larceny found at Sec. 18.2-96 of the Virginia Criminal Code is defined basically as stealing items(goods or chattels)from a person with a value of less than $5 or stealing anything of value (not directly from another person)but worth less than $200. The one exception to the less than $5 item is a firearm which even if it's worth essentially nothing(zero), still qualifies as GRAND LARCENY as specified in Sec. 18.2-95(rather than petit laeceny).

Petit larceny is classified as a Class 1 misdemeanor and carries the standard penalties which go with that classification.