Title 16, Crimes and Offenses

As used in this article, "cable television service" includes (1) services provided by or through the facilities of any cable television system or closed circuit coaxial cable communication system, and (2) any transmission service used in connection with any cable television syste…

It is unlawful for any person knowingly to obtain or use cable television service without the authorization of, or payment to, the operator of the service. It is permissible to infer that the existence of any connection, wire, conductor, or other device whatsoever, between facili…

It is unlawful for any person to make or use a connection not authorized by the operator of a cable television service, whether physical, electrical, mechanical, electronic, induction, or otherwise, or to attach any unauthorized device, or permit the attachment of any unauthorize…

It is unlawful for any person to assist, instruct, aid or abet, or attempt to assist, instruct, aid or abet any other person in obtaining any cable television service without payment of the lawful charge therefor.

It is unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation to advertise, promote the sale of, sell, rent, install, or use any instrument, apparatus, equipment, or device, or plans or instructions for making or assembling the same, designed or adapted to avoid the lawful charge for any c…

It is unlawful for any person, without the express authorization of a franchised or other duly licensed cable television system, knowingly and wilfully to manufacture, import into this State, distribute, sell, offer to sell, possess for sale, advertise for sale, or install any de…

It is unlawful for any person (a) to use a converter or similar device for the reception of intelligible signals without the authorization of the operator of the cable television system, (b) to sell a converter or similar device to any other person with knowledge that the person …

Nothing in this article makes it unlawful to receive or capture signals from the air by use of a satellite dish, antenna, or otherwise.

Any person who violates any section of this article is guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction for a first offense must be fined not more than two hundred dollars or imprisoned for not more than thirty days and for a second and subsequent offense fined not more than one thous…

(A) It is unlawful for a person to: (1) knowingly and wilfully transfer or cause to be transferred, for commercial advantage or private financial gain, without the consent of the owner, any sounds recorded on a phonograph record, disc, wire, tape, film, or other article on which …

(A) As used in this section: (1) "Article" means the tangible medium upon which sounds or images are recorded or otherwise stored and includes any original phonograph record, disc, tape, audio or video cassette, wire, film, or other medium now known or later developed on which so…

(A) It is unlawful for a person to: (1) advertise or offer for sale or resale, or sell or resell, or cause the sale or resale, or rent or cause the rental of, or transport or cause to be transported, or possess for any of these purposes for commercial advantage or private financi…

(A) A person who violates the provisions of Section 16-11-911 is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction: (1) for a first offense, must be fined not more than five thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than one year, or both; (2) for a second offense, must be fined not mor…

It is unlawful for a person to manufacture or knowingly sell, distribute, circulate, or cause to be sold, distributed, or circulated, advertise, resell or offer for sale or resale, or cause the sale or resale, or rent or cause the rental, or transport or cause to be transported, …

(A) A person who violates the provisions of Section 16-11-930 is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than two hundred fifty thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than five years, or both, if the offense involves at least one thousand unauthorized art…

The provisions of this article do not apply to sounds or calls of wild birds or animals.

(A) It is unlawful for a person to: (1) falsely make, forge, or counterfeit; cause or procure to be falsely made, forged, or counterfeited; or wilfully act or assist in the false making, forging, or counterfeiting of any writing or instrument of writing; (2) utter or publish as t…

Whoever shall steal any crude turpentine of the value of five dollars, whether dipped or scraped from the trees or not or whether barreled or not, from any place whatsoever shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, on conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine of not more than o…

When used in Sections 16-13-110, 16-13-120 and 16-13-140 the terms listed below shall have the following meanings: (1) "Conceal" means to hide merchandise on the person or among the belongings of a person so that, although there may be some notice of its presence, it is not visib…

(A) A person is guilty of shoplifting if he: (1) takes possession of, carries away, transfers from one person to another or from one area of a store or other retail mercantile establishment to another area, or causes to be carried away or transferred any merchandise displayed, he…

A first offense shoplifting prosecution or second offense resulting in a conviction shall be reported by the magistrate or city recorder hearing the case to the Communications and Records Division of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division which shall keep a record of such co…

It is permissible to infer that any person wilfully concealing unpurchased goods or merchandise of any store or other mercantile establishment either on the premises or outside the premises of the store has concealed the article with the intention of converting it to his own use …

The offense created by Section 16-13-110 and the inferences provided in Section 16-13-120 are not exclusive and are in addition to previously existing offenses and those rights and presumptions as were heretofore provided by law.

(A) It is unlawful for a person to create or conspire with another person to create a product code for the purpose of fraudulently obtaining goods or merchandise from a merchant at less than its actual sale price. (B) It is unlawful for a person to commit or conspire with another…

(A) As used in this section: (1) "Organized retail crime" means two or more people conspiring to commit theft of retail property from a retail establishment with the intent to sell, barter, exchange, or reenter such retail property into commerce for monetary or other gain. (2) "R…

In any action brought by reason of having been delayed by a merchant or merchant's employee or agent on or near the premises of a mercantile establishment for the purpose of investigation concerning the ownership of any merchandise, it shall be a defense to such action if: (1) Th…

(A) It is unlawful for any person to falsify or alter a transcript, a diploma, or the high school equivalency diploma known as the GED from any high school, college, university, or technical college of this State, from the South Carolina Department of Education, or from any other…

It is unlawful for a person to snatch suddenly and carry away from another a purse or other thing of value with intent to deprive the owner or person lawfully in possession of the article in circumstances not constituting grand larceny or robbery. A person who violates the provis…

(A) It is unlawful for a person to: (1) break or attempt to break into a motor vehicle or its compartment with the intent to steal it or anything of value from it, or attached or annexed to it, or used in connection with it or in the perpetration of any criminal offense; or (2) b…

(A) It is unlawful for a person to: (1) knowingly and intentionally import, manufacture, sell, offer for sale, install, or reinstall in a motor vehicle, a counterfeit airbag, a nonfunctional airbag, or an object that the person knows was not designed to comply with Federal Motor …

It is unlawful for a person to: (1) enter, without breaking, or attempt to enter a house or vessel, with intent to steal or commit any other crime; or (2) conceal himself in a house or vessel, with intent to commit a crime. A person who violates the provisions of this section is …

(A) In addition to the penalties for larceny of property, the motor vehicle used in the commission of the larceny may be confiscated and forfeited to the jurisdiction where the larceny occurred if the offender is the registered owner of the motor vehicle and the offender used the…

(A) In addition to the penalties provided by law, when an offense in violation of Section 16-11-580, 16-13-30, 16-13-230, or 16-13-240 involves timber theft valued in excess of five thousand dollars, all motor vehicles, conveyances, tractors, trailers, watercraft, vessels, tools,…

(A) It is unlawful for a person to buy, receive, or possess stolen goods, chattels, or other property if the person knows or has reason to believe the goods, chattels, or property is stolen. A person is guilty of this offense whether or not anyone is convicted of the property the…

Any person who has been injured or suffered damages because of a violation of Section 16-13-180 may bring an action in the circuit court against the person convicted of the violation for three times the amount of damages suffered, if any, plus costs of the action and reasonable a…

(A) No person shall drive a motor vehicle so as to cause it to leave the premises of an establishment at which gasoline offered for retail sale was dispensed into the fuel tank of the motor vehicle unless due payment or authorized charge for the gasoline so dispensed has been mad…

(A) It is unlawful for an officer or other person charged with the safekeeping, transfer, and disbursement of public funds to embezzle these funds. (B) A person who violates the provisions of this section is guilty of a: (1) felony and, upon conviction, must be fined in the discr…

In trials under Section 16-13-210, upon production of evidence tending to prove that any such officer or other person has received public funds and failed to account for the funds as required by law, it is permissible to infer that the funds received and unaccounted for have been…

(A) A person committing a breach of trust with a fraudulent intention or a person who hires or counsels another person to commit a breach of trust with a fraudulent intention is guilty of larceny. (B) A person who violates the provisions of this section is guilty of a: (1) misdem…

A person who by false pretense or representation obtains the signature of a person to a written instrument or obtains from another person any chattel, money, valuable security, or other property, real or personal, with intent to cheat and defraud a person of that property is guil…

If upon the trial of any person indicted for a misdemeanor under the provisions of Section 16-13-240 it shall be proved that he obtained the property in such a manner as to amount in law to larceny he shall not, by reason thereof, be entitled to be acquitted of such misdemeanor. …

A person who falsely and deceitfully obtains or gets into his hands or possession any money, goods, chattels, jewels, or other things of another person by color and means of any false token or counterfeit letter made in another person's name is guilty of a: (1) felony and, upon c…

It is unlawful for a person, with intent to defraud either the State, a county, or municipal government or any person, to act as an officer and demand, obtain, or receive from a person or an officer of the State, county, or municipal government any money, paper, document, or othe…

(A) Simple larceny of any article of goods, choses in action, bank bills, bills receivable, chattels, or other article of personalty of which by law larceny may be committed, or of any fixture, part, or product of the soil severed from the soil by an unlawful act, or has a value …

Whoever, with intent to defraud, removes or secretes personal property which has been attached or levied on by the sheriff or any other officer authorized by law to make such attachment or levy shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be punished by imprisonme…

Any person who shall take any record from the office of the clerk of the court, judge of probate or master in equity without the consent of the officer having control of such record shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine of fifty …