Forgery Attorney in Ocean County
Toms River NJ Forgery Lawyer
Defense Attorneys for False Documents in Ocean County, New Jersey
Forgery is an increasingly common offense in New Jersey. As a result, the state increasingly prosecutes these crimes aggressively. If you or a loved one is facing forgery charges, then it is important to understand the severity of the consequences if convicted. These consequences may include a state prison sentence, probation, community service, a criminal record, and thousands in fines and restitution. Forgery convictions are often accompanied by related charges such as Prescription Fraud, Credit Card Fraud, Theft by Deception and Check Fraud. At the Law Offices of William Proetta Criminal Law, our seasoned criminal defense attorneys are exclusively dedicated to the representation of clients for criminal and municipal charges such forgery and related theft and fraud crimes. We defend clients charged with forgery throughout Ocean County and New Jersey, including Toms River, Jackson, Bay Head, Pine Beach, Barnegat Township, Little Egg Harbor, and Lakewood. Our case management solutions process begins by first analyzing the weaknesses in the State’s case against you. We always try to work with the prosecution in order to obtain a successful resolution, which can be a dismissal or downgrade of the charges. If that avenue is unsuccessful, we will then litigate aggressively on your behalf.
If you or a loved one has been charged with forgery under New Jersey state law in Ocean County or elsewhere in New Jersey, then contact our Toms River office at (848) 238-2100 to build a customized case strategy to meet your needs. Our Ocean County criminal defense lawyers provide free consultations and look forward to assisting you with your forgery case.
New Jersey Forgery Law: N.J.S.A. 2C:21-1
The New Jersey statute for the crime of forgery, found in section N.J.S.A. 2C:21-1 of the New Jersey Criminal Code, is provided below, in pertinent part, for your reading convenience.
a. Forgery. A person is guilty of forgery if, with purpose to defraud or injure anyone, or with knowledge that he is facilitating a fraud or injury to be perpetrated by anyone, the actor: (1) Alters or changes any writing of another without his authorization; (2) Makes, completes, executes, authenticates, issues or transfers any writing so that it purports to be the act of another who did not authorize that act or of a fictitious person, or to have been executed at a time or place or in a numbered sequence other than was in fact the case, or to be a copy of an original when no such original existed; or (3) Utters any writing which he knows to be forged in a manner specified in paragraph (1) or (2).
b. Grading of forgery. Forgery is a crime of the third degree if the writing is or purports to be part of an issue of money, securities, postage or revenue stamps, or other instruments, certificates or licenses issued by the government, New Jersey Prescription Blanks as referred to in R.S.45:14-14, or part of an issue of stock, bonds or other instruments representing interest in or claims against any property or enterprise, personal identifying information or an access device. Forgery is a crime of the third degree if the writing is or purports to be a check. Forgery is a crime of the third degree if the writing is or purports to be 15 or more forged or altered retail sales receipts or universal product code labels. Otherwise forgery is a crime of the fourth degree.
c. Possession of forgery devices. A person is guilty of possession of forgery devices, a crime of the third degree, when with purpose to use, or to aid or permit another to use the same for purposes of forging written instruments, including access devices and personal identifying information, he makes or possesses any device, apparatus, equipment, computer, computer equipment, computer software or article specially designed or adapted to such use.
Consequences of NJ Forgery Charges
Forgery is normally a fourth degree crime but depending on certain factors, may be upgraded to a third degree as illustrated below
| Third Degree Forgery, ONLY IF | Forged money, stamps, stocks or prescription blanks |
| Forged check | |
| Forged 15 or more retail sales receipts | |
| Possession of forgery devices |
Whether the forgery you are facing is a 3rd or 4th degree offense, your case will be handled in Ocean County Superior Court because it is an indictable offense. Indictable cases are more complicated and time-consuming and will take the experience of a season criminal defense lawyer to be handled effectively. As founding attorney, William Proetta has handled a wide array of criminal and municipal charges such as forgery during his career. A defendant who has been charged with forgery, and who has little or no criminal record, is a potential candidate for a diversion program such as Pre-Trial Intervention (“PTI”). Once our attorneys are able to evaluate the specific facts of your case, we can we choose to work with the County Prosecutor’s Office in an effort to seek and secure your admittance into PTI so the charges are ultimately dismissed upon completion.
Contact a Lacey Township NJ Forgery Defense Lawyer Today
If you or a loved one has been charged with the crime of forgery or other related criminal charges, contact our Toms River office to speak with an experienced Ocean County forgery defense attorney and build a customized case strategy to meet your needs at (848) 238-2100. We represent clients charged with forgery in Plumsted Township, Brick, Point Pleasant Beach, Long Beach Township, Ship Bottom, Manchester, and throughout Ocean County.