Bethesda Forgery Lawyer

Forgery is classified as a fraudulent offense and can be committed anytime someone provides a false signature, documents, or imitation of an object of value with the intent to deceive another. The most common charge associated with forgery would be a theft charge because the forgery is being done to obtain goods, services, or money. An experienced Bethesda forgery lawyer can explain that the state takes this very seriously.

An individual should contact a Bethesda fraud lawyer immediately whenever they are charged. If there is any indication of an impending investigation, do not hesitate to seek out legal representation

Penalties for Forgery

The penalty is dependent upon the value of the item or items at issue. For example, if an individual forged a signature of a celebrity and sold it for $500, then a theft charge for the $500 would be applied. It is dependent upon the value and the value dictates what the penalty would be.

If it is under a hundred dollars, it is only 90 days incarceration. If it is under a thousand, it is 18 months incarceration. The consequence for that would be ten to 25 years, depending, once again, on the value of the stolen objects in question. Regardless a forgery attorney in Bethesda should be contacted as these charges are extremely serious.

Evidence of Forgery

In the case of forgery, the prosecution has to be able to establish that the individual forged the signature. If the accused used a forged document of some sort, then the prosecution has to prove that they knew that it was a false document and that they were going to use it for personal gains.

For instance, say that an individual purchases a signed object of value at an auction without knowing that the signature was a fake, and then resold it for a higher amount. If there is a witness that can say that they saw the individual make the signature, then that would be incriminating evidence.

If a person bought a signed item for $5 and then resold it for $5000, an argument could be made against that as well, saying that they intentionally passed that item off as authentic.

Benefits of Legal Representation

A forgery lawyer in Bethesda can help to navigate the waters of the criminal field, help them avoid incarceration, minimize the damage, and be their spokesperson in the case of being investigated. People such as investigators or detectives would not be able to question a represented individual without the attorney’s consent or permission.

Oftentimes individuals will say things that can be used against them. An attorney can help their client to avoid making mistakes, and can help them build a defense tailored to generating the most positive outcome possible.