Forgery

If you have been charged with forgery in Georgia, you need a skilled Atlanta criminal defense attorney who can prepare the strongest defense possible.

Like other states, Georgia has a series of forgery laws on the books to help prevent people from defrauding others in an attempt to gain a financial and/or economic gain. It is a serious matter and should not be taken lightly. A conviction for forgery can affect not only your life with the resulting jail time and fines, but it can have a devastating effect on your life down the line.

This is why you should not represent yourself or rely on a court-appointed attorney. You need an experienced Atlanta criminal defense attorney representing you. At Ghanayem & Rayasam, our team of attorneys has years of experience representing Atlanta clients for all types of criminal charges, including forgery.

Examples of Forgery in Georgia

In order to be convicted of forgery in the state, the offender must act with the intent to defraud people. The state can show intent when the defendant intends to trick, deceive, better their own position, or injure others through the act of forgery. Some examples of forgery can include:

• Written and Printed Documents: Forging written and printed documents, including credit cards, money, tokens, trademarks, badges, signatures, or any other symbols that are deemed valuable. Forgery can be as simple as creating fake credentials to get into a conference.
• Printing Currency: Printing counterfeit currency is also forgery, and you do not even have to be the one who tries to pass it. Printing blank checks or forging someone’s signature on one is also a criminal offense.
• Identity Theft: Identity theft is when someone uses another person’s identity to open accounts, buy things, open a line of credit, etc. Identity theft is a felony in Georgia and can result in at least one year in jail or up to ten years in prison, plus restitution to the victim.
• Fake Credentials: Someone could be guilty of forgery if they falsify credentials and documentation in order to be eligible for a job or get into school. Fake employment records, letter of reference, etc., could qualify as forgery. Someone who creates a fake diploma would also be guilty of forgery.
• Artwork and Other Creative Works: Someone who creates a lookalike painting and then tries to sell it as the original one from a famous artist could be charged with forgery.
• Investment Fraud: When someone forges information related to investments, it is referred to as securities fraud. This can include things like faking a company’s financial reports, presenting false information to auditors, and more. It can include creating fake stock information or passing off reports that indicate the stock is doing better than it truly is.
• Computer Forgery: Computer forgery falls under the definitions of cybercrime and can include a variety of issues, like intellectual property violations, phishing scams, computer theft, and more. Someone can be convicted of computer forgery in Georgia if they alter, delete, or create any data in a computer or computer network.

Contact an Atlanta Forgery Attorney

If you have been accused of the crime of forgery in Georgia, you need to speak with an attorney right away. Contact Ghanayem & Rayasam today to schedule an initial consultation.