Forging involves falsely signing for someone on a public record or if they knowingly attempt to use the forgery as though it was authentic then it is charged as a Class 4 felony. It is forging or writing, trying to implicate a signature on a public record. A Virginia forgery lawyer can help you understand what forgery entails.
If there is a forgery involving monetary bills then the penalty is a Class 5 felony not Class 4, so a coin or monetary bill – a check, a note or something similar – would be a Class 5 felony. Talk to a qualified defense lawyer for more on the definition of forgery.
Check fraud is a common action that involves forgery. Check fraud is forging a signature on a check. It is a serious type of forgery and it is the most common. Another common forgery case would be forging someone else’s signature on a promissory note, a payment, or a monetary bill. There is also forging signatures on a public record, which involves forging a contract, a land sale, or something similar. A Virginia forgery lawyer can offer more common charges.
There are cases in which a person gives permission to another to sign. In that case, the signature should have properly indicated that the person had the authority to sign. This is common in big companies and they have individuals signing different things on their behalf. There is a right way of signing on someone else’s behalf, which requires that a person writes the name of the entity and then they write the name of the person who is actually signing. This is called a representative type of signature. There is a way to do this and if it is done the right way, it does not cause an issue. The problems come up when there is not an authorization.
An attorney would want any witnesses, any video surveillance, or other physical evidence. The document itself, the coin, the monetary bill, the public record, and then the forged signature is the best evidence and that is what the prosecution and the Virginia forgery attorneys are going to be seeking – the actual document where the alleged forgery took place.
As soon as a person believes they are under investigation for forgery or if they are being charged, they should seek the help of a Virginia fraud lawyer right away because it is a serious charge. A Class 5 felony, the less severe charge, includes the term of imprisonment of not less than one year and not more than 10 years and a fine of up to $2,500.
A Class 4 felony involves a term of imprisonment of not less than two years and not more than 10 years and a fine of not more than $100,000.
Virginia forgery lawyers are able to assess the facts of the case. They are able to tell if the signature was not authorized and if the signature was done in a representative capacity. They can assess whether or not it qualified as a forged signature, meaning it was not true and it is being asserted as the person’s signature. A person will benefit when they have an attorney engaged in the investigation. When the person is charged, the attorney is able to compile evidence, witnesses, and they can put forth a quality defense on behalf of that person.
Northern Virginia Criminal Defense Group
