§68.7. Receipts and universal product code labels; unlawful acts

            A. Any person who, with intent to cheat or defraud a retailer, makes, alters, or counterfeits a retail sales receipt or a universal product code label, or possesses any such sales receipt or label, or possesses a device which has as its specific purpose the manufacture of fraudulent retail sales receipts or universal product code labels commits a violation of the provisions of this Section.

            B.(1) Except as provided in Paragraph (3) of this Subsection, whoever violates the provisions of this Section shall be subject to the following:

            (a) When the fair market value of the goods which are the subject of the falsified retail sales receipts or universal product code labels, as described in Subsection A of this Section, amounts to a value of twenty-five thousand dollars or more, the offender shall be imprisoned at hard labor for not more than twenty years, or fined not more than fifty thousand dollars, or both.

            (b) When the fair market value of the goods which are the subject of the falsified retail sales receipts or universal product code labels, as described in Subsection A of this Section, amounts to a value of five thousand dollars or more, but less than a value of twenty-five thousand dollars, the offender shall be imprisoned, with or without hard labor, for not more than ten years, or fined not more than ten thousand dollars, or both.

            (c) When the fair market value of the goods which are the subject of the falsified retail sales receipts or universal product code labels, as described in Subsection A of this Section, amounts to a value of one thousand dollars or more but less than five thousand dollars, the offender shall be imprisoned, with or without hard labor, for not more than five years, or fined not more than three thousand dollars, or both.

            (d) When the fair market value of the goods which are the subject of the falsified retail sales receipts or universal product code labels, as described in Subsection A of this Section, amounts to a value of less than one thousand dollars, the offender shall be imprisoned for not more than six months, or fined not more than five hundred dollars, or both. If a person is convicted of theft two or more times previously, upon any subsequent conviction, he shall be imprisoned, with or without hard labor, for not more than two years, or fined not more than two thousand dollars, or both.

            (2) When there has been a violation of this Section by a number of distinct acts of the offender, the aggregate amount of the goods taken shall determine the grade of the offense.

            (3) Possessing more than one fraudulent retail sales receipt or universal product code label in violation of the provisions of this Section shall be punishable by imprisonment, with or without hard labor, for a period not to exceed ten years, or a fine not to exceed three thousand dollars, or both.

            (4) Possessing a device which has as its specific purpose the manufacture of fraudulent retail sales receipts or universal product code labels in violation of the provisions of this Section shall be punishable by imprisonment, with or without hard labor, for a period not to exceed five years, or a fine not to exceed three thousand dollars, or both.

            Acts 2001, No. 922, §1; Acts 2006, No. 143, §1; Acts 2010, No. 585, §1; Acts 2017, No. 281, §1.