karma/spiritual consequences of stealing from bad guys

[Stranger]

I believe the amount of suffering inflicted on another as a consequence of one's act also plays into the karmic equation, as does the benevolence or belligerence of your intentions toward another. So if you're gloating about having swindled the swindler, even if your conscience feels fantastic about it, that is not a spiritually positive action. That said, it is all a matter of gradations, of course. Some actions are neutral and don't help us polarize much in either direction.