In Oregon, property crimes are punished based on the value to the loss to the alleged victim and the number of prior crimes in someone's past. The stakes in property crime cases are often higher than in other cases. Due to Oregon's repeat property offender law, ORS 137.717, there are often mandatory minimum sentences for property crimes.

Under the REPO law, someone accused of Aggravated Theft 1 or Burglary 1 could face a minimum sentence of 19 months on even a second offense. People accused of other property crimes can face minimum sentences of 13 months. Property crimes which count as priors for the REPO law include: Theft 1, Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle (UUV), Burglary 2, Robbery, Trafficking in Stolen Vehicles, Criminal Mischief, Computer Crime, Forgery, Criminal Possession of Forged Instruments, Fraudulent Use of a Credit Card, Identity Theft, and Possession of a Traffic Stolen Vehicle.

Because the stakes are so high, it is important to property defend against every property crime allegation. Even for a first offense minor property crime, prosecutors are often highly motivated to get a conviction in order to establish prior offenses. On subsequent convictions, prosecutors will often seek more than the REPO minimum sentence. Due to these high stakes, it is important to consult with an experienced criminal defense lawyer whenever charged with any property crime.