You Can Be Charged with A Forgery Crime in Scranton in Many Different Ways
One of the most common white-collar crimes committed in Scranton and throughout the United States is forgery. Forgery encompasses many different types of crimes. For example, forgery can include identity theft, which takes place when a person obtains and uses another person’s personal data (such as a Social Security number) as a means of deception.
Forging a name on a document or creating a false document is also common. One example of this is writing a check and signing another person’s name in an attempt to cash the check and steal the funds.
Forgery can also take place through criminal simulation, which means you attempt to defraud someone by making, altering, or representing an object as an antiquity or as an object with more value than it actually has.
Depending on the particulars of the charge against you, the crime could be considered a misdemeanor or a felony. Both are serious and will leave you with a permanent criminal record upon conviction. Felony charges are especially egregious because they can result in lengthy prison terms and hefty fines.
In all cases, a prosecutor must show that a person attempted to deceive another person or business in an attempt to profit from them.
Defending Against a Forgery Charge
A defense attorney will commonly argue that no forgery has taken place because a defendant was authorized to act accordingly in a transaction, or because there is a mistaken identity at the core of the case. Another common defense is that a person believed they were acting in good faith when they either signed a document or executed the transaction in question.
Contact Peters Law Firm If You Have Been Charged with Forgery
Peters Law Firm provides results-driven, affordable, and compassionate legal representation for clients in Scranton, Clarks Summit, and surrounding Northeastern Pennsylvania communities.
If you need a criminal lawyer or assistance with a criminal matter, contact us for a free initial consultation at our main office in Clark’s Summit, our Scranton area office, or our Tunkhannock and Wyoming County office today.