Consequences of Committing Forgery in Riverside (Penal Code Section 470, et seq)

What does it mean to commit forgery? It means a whole lot more than signing someone else’s name to a legal document or a check. Committing forgery in Riverside is a serious crime.

How Can You Be Prosecuted for Committing Forgery in Riverside?

Forgery is considered a crime of fraud. California law under Penal Code Section 470 prohibits knowingly doing any of the following with the intent to commit fraud:

• Sign someone else’s name or a fake name;
• Counterfeit or forge the seal or handwriting of another;
• Alter or falsify a legal document, such as a will; and
• Fake, alter, counterfeit, utter, publish, pass or present as true and genuine any document related to money, property or finances. This includes but is not limited to a check, bond, contract or receipt.

What Does it Mean to Counterfeit or Forge a Seal or Someone Else’s Handwriting?

Forging or counterfeiting a seal or handwriting includes, but is not limited to the following:

• Photocopying a document containing a seal and/or handwriting with the intent to or actually using the copy to pass as an original document;
• Creating a new document (for example, a fake check or lottery ticket) with the unauthorized use of an official seal or using a counterfeit seal, and
• Attempting to re-create or actually re-creating someone else’s handwriting without their permission.

For example, a Riverside County used auto dealer was recently convicted of auto theft, identity theft, filing forged documents, possessing forged notary stamps and conspiracy in a scheme to steal cars and sell them at auction.

The defendant acquired and used counterfeit stamps from finance companies to buy cars, then presented forged documents to the DMV that removed the name of the legal owner from the titles. He also possessed and used fake certification documents in order to bypass inspection of salvaged vehicles.

He and two others involved in the auto theft conspiracy will be sentenced later this month.

What are Possible Legal Defenses to Committing Forgery in Riverside?

The criminal defense attorneys at Wallin & Klarich have over 40 years of experience successfully defending persons accused of forgery. Some of the legal defenses that your Wallin & Klarich criminal defense attorney may be able to raise to defeat a forgery charge include, but are not limited to the following:

• You had no intent to commit fraud;
• The documents you forged could not have deprived someone else of a legal right; and/or
• Someone falsely accused you.

What Punishment Do You Face if You are Convicted for Committing Forgery in Riverside?

Forgery in California is a “wobbler” offense – meaning the prosecutor has the option of charging you with a misdemeanor or a felony violation of the law, depending on:

• The facts of the case – typically based on the net value of the money or property fraudulently acquired or attempted to be acquired; and
• Your criminal background.

If convicted of committing forgery in Riverside, you face the following penalties:

Misdemeanor

• Up to one year in jail; and/or
• A maximum fine of $1,000.

Felony

• 16 months, or two or three years in jail; and/or
• A maximum fine of $10,000.

You may also be required to serve a term of probation or community supervision and be ordered to pay restitution to any of your victims. If you have prior convictions, have served prior prison terms or have any “strikes” on your record, your punishment may be increased.

Wallin & Klarich Can Help You if You Have Been Charged with Committing Forgery in Riverside

If you or someone you care about is facing charges of committing forgery in Riverside County, you should contact an attorney at Wallin & Klarich right away. At Wallin & Klarich, our attorneys have over 40 years of experience successfully defending clients facing the serious consequences of a forgery conviction such as jail time, fines, probation and restitution.

With offices in Los Angeles, Sherman Oaks, Torrance, Tustin, San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, West Covina and Victorville, our criminal defense attorneys at Wallin & Klarich will protect your constitutional rights and make certain you are treated fairly through every step of your criminal proceedings. We will aggressively pursue every defense available to help you win your case.

Call us today at (877) 4-NO-JAIL or (877) 466-5245 for a free telephone consultation. We will get through this together.