Robbery in Rhode Island requires the use of force or threat of force to take property from another person. Theft (also called larceny) is the taking of property without force or threat. The presence or absence of force is the critical distinction and dramatically changes the charge level. Robbery is always a felony with multi-year prison exposure; larceny can range from petty misdemeanor for low-value items to felony for larger amounts. The prosecution must prove the force element for a robbery conviction. Defense work in robbery cases sometimes focuses on contesting whether the force element was actually present.
