[Mcotts123]

Hi All,

I am about to register for my first exam, I am attending the Becker review course now. My Dilemma its that in college I was arrested for theft from a Walmart. Since it was my first and only charge, and the amount stolen was not significant, it ended up being discharged to a misdemeanor. My question is, will I still be able to become a CPA, even if I meet all the requirements? On the registration there is a box that says,”Have you ever been arrested, charged, or convicted of any felony or misdemeanor.” After researching, I definitely must check this box as a yes. Since it has not been a full five years from the date of the incident, I do not think I can get it expunged from my record yet. If expunged I could check no for this box. I know that the CPA requirements specifically look at Moral Turpitude, which unfortunately definitely involves theft. The more I research, the more it seems that I will not be allowed to become a CPA, for at least 5 years. I just can’t believe something I did back in college can affect me this much. Any advice on the situation would be greatly appreciated,

Thanks!!

[Anonymous]

My advice is to contact your state board. They will know the answer better than most of us here. Good luck and welcome aboard the slow train through hell!

[Anonymous]

My advice is to contact your state board. They will know the answer better than most of us here. Good luck and welcome aboard the slow train through hell!

[Jasper]

I would check with an attorney. I believe there is a website called, avvo.com, that has an attorney answer legal questions for free.

A lot of times for first time offenders the offense is automatically expunged, and you can always have a criminal history check to verify that. If it is expunged, depending what state you live in, by law, the board of accountancy cannot make you reveal an expunged record. Doing that would be illegal.

FAR 82
BEC 82
AUD 93
REG 87

[Jasper]

I would check with an attorney. I believe there is a website called, avvo.com, that has an attorney answer legal questions for free.

A lot of times for first time offenders the offense is automatically expunged, and you can always have a criminal history check to verify that. If it is expunged, depending what state you live in, by law, the board of accountancy cannot make you reveal an expunged record. Doing that would be illegal.

FAR 82
BEC 82
AUD 93
REG 87

[Author]

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