A theft charge in Maryland has two main elements. The state must show that you took or possessed property that belonged to someone else and that you intended to permanently deprive its owner of it. From there, Maryland has a variety of theft-related charges you may face, like shoplifting, unauthorized removal of property, unauthorized control of property by deception, writing a bad check, fraud, or embezzlement.
Possessing something that is stolen or illegal, even if you didn’t steal it, is also a crime and is usually prosecuted just as severely as if you’d stolen it yourself. The same goes for keeping something that was given or delivered to you by mistake, which can bring criminal charges.