Los Angeles Forgery Defense Lawyer

Los Angeles Forgery Attorney

Federal Forgery Charges

Were you accused of forgery or another type of white collar crime in Los Angeles? You need an experienced attorney on your side to protect your rights and defend you when you are facing serious charges. You should get in contact with a Los Angeles federal defense lawyer as soon as you are aware of the charges you are facing. Having an attorney who is knowledgeable about both sides of the legal system to work with you will result in better chances of a successful criminal defense case.

Forgery may not be a violent crime, but it is one that is taken very seriously. The penalties that can be incurred from these convictions are very serious and can alter your life forever. You may never be able to hold certain positions of employment again if you are convicted and serve your time.

Misdemeanor VS. Felony Charges

California Penal Code 470 PC defines forgery as altering, making, or issuing a public record, legal document, or a form of certification in an attempt to harm a third party or for one’s own personal gain. Forgery occurs without consent or proper authority. There are various examples of how forgery could occur, including the following:

• Forging a signature
• Digitally altering a document
• Writing a bad check
• Filing invalid insurance documents
• Forging artwork
• Forging stamps or seals
• Forging trademarks

Usually, this type of offense takes place in a business or even political context. It can be classified as a felony offense or a misdemeanor, depending on what was actually forged:

• The forgery of any writings issued by the government, such as money, stamps, stocks, bonds, or any other writings is considered to be a second-degree felony. This is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $25,000.
• The forgery of any documents that affect personal or legal relations, such as contracts, deeds, or wills is considered to be a third-degree felony. This is punishable by up to 7 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $15,000.
• Other types of forgery are considered to be a first-degree misdemeanor and are punishable by up to 5 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $10,000.

What Is The Best Defense Against Forgery Charges?

At Okabe & Haushalter, our skilled forgery defense attorneys will be ready to help you combat these charges. We will use our resources to hire our own professionals who can investigate the claims or charges against you. Unlike the government prosecutors, we will take an unbiased approach towards gathering evidence. Our investigation will be incredibly thorough and examine the issue from every angle.

Our attorneys will work to suppress any irrelevant evidence and dismiss charges that are not valid. There are various defensive positions we can take to help a person charged with forgery in Los Angeles. First, if you did not commit forgery at all, we will work to argue that there has been a case of mistaken identity or that false allegations have been rendered against you. Some other possible defenses include:

• That you were coerced into committing forgery.
• That you were entrapped by law enforcement professionals.
• That you were suffering from psychological issues at the time the forgery reoccurred.
• That you were intoxicated when the forgery occurred.
• That there is not enough evidence to convict you of forgery.
• The true owner of an account gave you permission to sign their name.

There are also times when the crime of forgery is charged, but the reality is that a person should have been charged with attempted forgery. The crime of forgery is not completed until the counterfeit object is passed to somebody else. The passing of a forged object completes the intention to commit a crime.

We will work to build the best defense strategy available, given the facts surrounding your particular situation. We treat each client and each case individually so that we can achieve the best possible results on their behalf.

Enlist Okabe & Haushalter For Your Case

The legal team at Okabe & Haushalter is very experienced in defending all types of serious federal offenses, including forgery crimes. We are prepared to provide you with aggressive legal representation from the moment of your arrest.

Contact a Los Angeles forgery defense attorney without delay if you are accused of committing any type of forgery that has led to a federal charge.