Practice Areas

Forgery is the act of creating, altering, or destroying a document with the intent to defraud or injure a person or an entity. “Intent to defraud or injure” means having the purpose to deceive another person to part with property or to deceive another person to gain some material advantage over them. It is not necessary that you had a particular person in mind while doing so. There are varying degrees of forgery, each with their own distinct penalties.

If you have been charged with or are under investigation for forgery, the attorneys at Valentini law are here to help. Contact us at (612) 341-0900 to secure experienced and professional representation for your case

Forgery

Forgery is a felony offense. This charge occurs if you committed any of the following acts with the intent to injure or defraud someone:

• Knowingly used false writing for identification or recommendation.
• Intentionally placed a label or stamp over that of another without their consent.
• Knowingly created or altered a fake membership card.
• Destroyed, mutilated, or falsified a record, account, private business document, or document filed with a public office.
• Destroyed a document to prevent it from being produced at a trial or other court hearing.

“Intent to defraud or injure” means having the purpose to deceive another person to part with property or to deceive another person to gain some material advantage over them. If you are charged with forgery, the penalties include up to 3 years in prison and/or a $5,000 fine.

Trial Document Forgery

Trial document forgery is a felony offense. This charge occurs if you knowingly offer falsified evidence in a trial or other court hearing.

If you committed trial document forgery in the trial of a felony charge, the penalties include up to 5 years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine.

If you committed trial document forgery in any other trial or hearing, the penalties include up to 3 years in prison and/or a $5,000 fine.

Aggravated Forgery

Aggravated forgery is a felony offense. This charge is more severe, and occurs if you created, altered, engraved, or possessed any of the following documents with the intent to defraud:

• A writing or object that, when genuine, would create, terminate, transfer, or evidence legal rights, privileges, or obligations.
• A writing or object that, when genuine, would normally be relied upon as evidence of debt or property rights.
• An official seal.
• The seal of a corporation.
• A public record (or an official authentication or certification of a copy).
• An official return or certificate entitled to be received as evidence of its contents.
• A court order, judgment, decree, or process.
• Records or accounts of a public body, office, or officer.
• Records or accounts of a bank or person with whom funds of the state (or any of its agencies or subdivisions) are deposited or entrusted, relating to such funds.

“Intent to defraud” means having the purpose to deceive another person to part with property or to deceive another person to gain some material advantage over them. If you are charged with aggravated forgery, the penalties include up to 10 years in prison and/or a $20,000 fine.

Check Forgery

Depending on circumstances, check forgery may either be a felony or gross misdemeanor offense. To be charged with check forgery, you must have committed one of the following acts with the intent to defraud:

• Falsely made or altered a check so that it appeared:
  • To have been made by another person,
  • To have been made by you under an assumed or fictitious name,
  • To have been made at another time,
  • To have been made with different provisions, or
  • To have been made by the authority of a person who did not give authority to make or alter the check.
• Falsely endorsed or altered a check so that it appeared to have been endorsed by another person.

“Intent to defraud” means having the purpose to deceive another person to part with property or to deceive another person to gain some material advantage over them.

Felony Check Forgery

If you are charged with check forgery, and the amount of money at issue is more than $35,000, the penalties include up to 20 years in prison and/or a $100,000 fine.

If you are charged with check forgery, and the amount of money at issue is more than $2,5000 but less than $35,000, the penalties include up to 10 years in prison and/or a $20,000 fine.

If you are charged with check forgery, and the amount of money at issue is more than $250 but less than $2,5000, the penalties include up to 5 years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine.

If you are charged with check forgery, the amount at issue is less than $250, and you have a qualifying conviction within the past 5 years, the penalties include up to 5 years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine. Qualifying convictions include:

• Robbery
• Burglary
• Theft
• Receiving stolen property
• Carjacking
• Forgery/aggravated forgery
• Check forgery
• Financial transaction card fraud.

Gross Misdemeanor Check Forgery

If you are charged with check forgery, and the amount of money at issue is less than $250, the penalties include up to 364 days in jail and/or a $3,000 fine.