The petty thief is imprisoned but the big thief becomes a feudal lord.

We must recognize today that it is normal for the wealthiest to be the greatest thieves. When a poor man steals it is merely a theft, a petty crime -- it is solely about survival and necessity. The rich are the ones who steal from the treasury, customs duties, and who exploit the people.

We have a system of justice in this country that treats you much better if you're rich and guilty than if you're poor and innocent. Wealth, not culpability, shapes outcomes.

Steal a little and they throw you in jail; steal a lot and they make you king.

Steal a little and they throw you in jail. Steal a lot and they make you king.

A thief was a thief, whether he stole a little or a lot.

The length of sentences depends upon the criminal’s wealth and type of legal help more than upon the seriousness of his transgression. Court procedures are slow and cumbersome. It is the poor and stupid criminal who gets the heaviest sentences - so the aim of criminals is to become rich and cunning, and thus avoid the harshest penalties.

The difference between a successful thief and a dead thief is knowing when to escape with your takings.

They look upon fraud as a greater crime than theft, and therefore seldom fail to punish it with death; for they allege, that care and vigilance, with a very common understanding, may preserve a man's goods from thieves, but honesty has no defence against superior cunning; and, since it is necessary that there should be a perpetual intercourse of buying and selling, and dealing upon credit, where fraud is permitted and connived at, or has no law to punish it, the honest dealer is always undone, and the knave gets the advantage.

It is better that ten guilty persons escape, than that one innocent suffer.

They look upon fraud as a greater crime than theft, and therefore seldom fail to punish it with death; for

Greater fates gain greater rewards

How great his theft, who robs himself!

An escape from penalty is better than petitioning the judges.