Forgery is a serious white-collar crime that carries serious consequences for a conviction. If you were arrested on these charges in Colorado, you should understand the laws and what to expect in your case.
What is forgery?
A person commits forgery by using writing to commit fraud. The crime can involve a number of writing instruments such as checks, wills and other legal documents, stamps, stocks and bonds, public records, tickets used in place of cash or identification documents.
People usually think of forgery as someone signing another person’s name on a document or check. However, it also includes documents that are fraudulent and passed off as legitimate.
What are the elements of forgery?
The prosecution would have to prove that all the elements of forgery were in place in order for a person accused of the crime to be found guilty. The first element is that the document the person created would have to be false or materially altered in some way to pass it off as legitimate.
The writing or document would have to appear so genuine that it could fool people. It must also have some type of legal meaning that affects the person’s rights to something.
The final element is an intent to defraud people. A person charged with forgery would have to be deliberate in their actions with the intent to trick people into believing the writing or document is legitimate. For example, if a person printed fake concert tickets that look real for the purpose of selling them to people, it would count as forgery.
Forgery is a class 5 felony white-collar crime, which means a person could face up to three years in prison and a fine ranging from $1,000 to $100,000 if convicted.
Having a forgery arrest on your record can negatively affect your life. Proving your innocence is a must.