In Texas, the word theft refers to a wide range of crimes and various punishments as discussed in detail below. However, most theft crimes have been consolidated into a single legal offense found in section 31.03 of the Texas Penal Code.
In the Texas Penal Code, theft is defined as, “the unlawful appropriation of property with intent to deprive the rightful owner of that property.”
Appropriation of property is unlawful if:
It is without the owner’s effective consent
The property is stolen and the actor appropriates the property knowing it was stolen by another
Property in the custody of any law enforcement agency was explicitly represented by any law enforcement agent to the actor as being stolen and the actor appropriates the property believing it was stolen by another.