It depends on the dollar amount and the subsection charged. Lower-value unauthorized use is a misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in the Adult Correctional Institutions (ACI). Higher-loss cases, aggregated schemes, possession of counterfeit cards, and skimming-device cases are all felonies. Rhode Island lets prosecutors aggregate the total value of multiple transactions in a single scheme, so a series of small transactions can be charged as a felony if the total crosses threshold. A Rhode Island credit card fraud lawyer can look at the complaint, confirm the subsection, and tell you whether the aggregation is legally supported. When the aggregation is weak, charges often reduce to misdemeanors before trial.
