Forging Documents

Forging documents is a form of counterfeiting.  It is a process of doctoring, creating, or imitating documents with the intent to deceive.  A forgery of a document is an attempt to create a false sense of authority in order to produce a gain.  Forged documents are intended to fool those who view them into believing they are authentic.  Typical forged documents include fake police reports, fake passports, fake driver’s licenses, literary forgery, doctored results of a field of study, fake newspaper articles, fake signatures on legal documents, and fake signatures on leases and deeds.  Forged documents are typically produced by criminal enterprises. 

Forged documents have been used in the past to bring down governments, steal land from rightful owners, provide false entry for terrorists, provide minors with the means to purchase alcohol and tobacco, and allow researchers to falsify their study findings to gain fame and/or finances.  Forged documents can also be used in art to allow artists and authors to copy the works of others, as well as dupe collectors into buying articles that are not genuine.  Forged document also allow people to gain access into areas they are not permitted, and can lead to sensitive materials being stolen, be it for a competitor in business, a political opponent or a terrorist organization.

Forging Documents Penalties

Forging documents charges range heavily depending on the extent and process of the alleged crime.  Federal forging documents charges can be related to uttering, distribution, manufacture, or fraud charges as well, which would enhance or decrease the potential penalties depending on a case by case circumstance.

Possible Penalties

• A ranging level of federal imprisonment sentences,
• Severe fines to deter this practice, as well as fines for restitution of alleged economic losses by federal government or corporate entities
• Civil suits and liens from the IRS and other private or public entities suffering damages

Forging Documents Sentencing

A judge presiding over a forged document case can grant leniency based on many factors.  These include the severity of the forgery, the criminal intent involved, and the size and scope of the forgery operation.  In most cases of forgery reaching the attention of federal law enforcement, however, the potential sentences entail decades in prison, as well as even life sentences for those involved in document forgery that poses a threat to national security.  Depending on a wide variety of circumstances, a competent federal criminal defense attorney can emphasis mitigating factors, which may alter the punishment level individual defendants receive in forging documents cases.

Forging Documents Charges and Legal Help

Forging documents can lead to serious federal charges and consequences and even be classified as a national security threat.  If you are ever facing charges of forging documents, you should seek immediate legal representation to assist in representing your interests in pending forgery court cases.

• If you need help with a Federal Criminal charge, Submit Your Case for a Free Review from a local Criminal Defense Lawyer.