Forgery Defense Attorneys in New York & New Jersey
Charged with Forgery? Protect Your Rights and Reputation.
Forgery involves creating, altering, or using a written instrument with the intent to deceive or defraud. This can include documents such as checks, contracts, identification cards, prescriptions, or financial records. Both New York and New Jersey treat forgery as a serious criminal offense, often charging it as a felony. A conviction can result in prison time, fines, restitution, and a permanent criminal record that may harm your career and personal life.
Common Examples of Forgery
- Altering or falsifying checks, credit cards, or financial documents
- Creating fake IDs, driver’s licenses, or passports
- Signing someone else’s name without authorization
- Altering contracts, deeds, or wills
- Forging prescriptions for controlled substances
- Creating or using counterfeit securities or business records
Because forgery often involves financial or legal documents, these cases may also overlap with fraud, identity theft, and white-collar crime charges.
Forgery Laws in New York
New York prosecutes forgery under Penal Law Article 170. Degrees include:
- Forgery in the Third Degree (Class A Misdemeanor): Involves forging a basic written instrument; punishable by up to 1 year in jail.
- Forgery in the Second Degree (Class D Felony): Involves instruments such as checks, contracts, public records, credit cards, or medical prescriptions; punishable by up to 7 years in prison.
- Forgery in the First Degree (Class C Felony): Involves securities, stocks, bonds, or other high-value instruments; punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
Forgery Laws in New Jersey
New Jersey defines forgery under N.J.S.A. §2C:21-1, which criminalizes creating, altering, or using documents with fraudulent intent. Penalties include:
- Fourth-Degree Crime: Simple forgery of non-financial instruments; punishable by up to 18 months in prison.
- Third-Degree Crime: Involving checks, money, securities, or prescriptions; punishable by 3–5 years in prison.
- Second-Degree Crime: Involving government-issued documents, such as driver’s licenses or passports, or large-scale forgery schemes; punishable by 5–10 years in prison.
Collateral Consequences of a Forgery Conviction
- A permanent criminal record that may prevent employment in finance, law, government, or other trust-based professions
- Restitution orders requiring repayment to victims
- Loss of professional licenses or disqualification from certain careers
- Immigration consequences for non-citizens
Defense Strategies
Possible defenses in a forgery case may include:
- Lack of intent to defraud
- Mistaken identity or false accusation
- Insufficient or improperly obtained evidence
- Demonstrating that the alleged forgery was an error or misunderstanding
- Constitutional violations in search, seizure, or investigation
Why Legal Representation Is Essential
Forgery cases are often document-heavy and rely on expert testimony, handwriting analysis, or digital forensics. Prosecutors pursue these charges aggressively because of the financial harm and breach of trust involved. An experienced forgery defense attorney in New York or New Jersey can challenge the prosecution’s case, identify weaknesses in the evidence, and fight for reduced charges or dismissal.
