Forgery
Forgery is a serious crime in the state of Utah. This offense can be accompanied by lengthy prison time and a combination of heavy fines. If you find yourself facing forgery charges, you may be facing serious consequences.
An attorney experienced in fraud cases can be a useful resource for you during these stressful times.
Salt Lake City Forgery Defense Attorney
Susanne Gustin has decades of experience defending clients against property and theft crimes including fraud and check forgery. She is an aggressive advocate for her clients, and can determine the most fitting solution to your legal issues.
If you or someone you know has been charged with forgery, call Susanne Gustin Attorney at Law at (801) 243-2814 to set up a free consultation with an experienced attorney.
Forgery Information Center
- Forgery Defined under Utah Law
- Most Common Forgery Cases
- Defenses against Forgery Charges
- More Information on Forgery
Forgery Defined under Utah Law- §76-6-501
Utah law provides that forgery occurs when, with purpose to defraud anyone, or with knowledge that the person is facilitating a fraud to be perpetrated by anyone, a person does any of the following:
- Alters any writing of another without his or her authority or utters the altered writing; or
- Makes, complete, executes, authenticates, issues, transfers, publishes, or utters any writing so that the writing or the making, completion, execution, authentication, issuance, transference, publication, or utterance:
- Purports to be the act of another, whether the person is existent or nonexistent;
- Purports to be an act on behalf of another party with the authority of that other party; or
- Purports 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 an original did not exist.
Most Common Forgery Cases
In Utah, one of the most common forgery crimes is check forgery. A conviction for check forgery requires the prosecution to show fraudulent intent or knowledge, therefore, lack of knowledge could be a sufficient defense against these charges.
In addition, signature forgery on official documents and court documents are also common types of forgery.
Defenses against Forgery Charges
One of the required elements that the prosecution must prove to convict you is that you knowingly or fraudulently committed the acts in question.
Presenting a successful defense against fraud charges may come down to showing that the accused genuinely believed that the document was authentic, or that the person committed the fraudulent act unknowingly and no fraudulent intent.
More Information on Forgery
Utah Department of Commerce– This is a state site providing securities fraud victims outlets to file official complaints.
ID Safety– This is a resource providing information on Utah’s fraud and forgery and fraud prevention.
Susanne Gustin Attorney at Law Salt Lake County Forgery Defense Attorney
If you are facing forgery charges, your freedom is in jeopardy. With her history in successfully defending theft and property crime clients, Susanne Gustin is equipped to fight these charges.
Call Susanne Gustin Attorney at Law at (801) 243-2814 to speak with an experienced attorney. This firm provides services to individuals in the Salt Lake County and Davis County areas.