St Louis Forgery Attorney

Forgery involves the falsification of a document or signature and can have severe consequences in St. Louis.

Our forgery defense attorneys can help protect your rights and reduce the likelihood of heavy sentences like years of jail time.

Forgery is more than just signing someone else’s signature on a document. It involves the intent to defraud another party (an individual or financial institution) by creating, altering, erasing, or destroying a document, such as a check, receipt, universal product code, or currency, without permission. It can also involve using or transferring a document, knowing it has had an unauthorized alteration. Forgery crimes result in serious criminal charges in Missouri. Even first-time offenders face felony charges if convicted.

If you are facing forgery charges, you must seek legal representation immediately. Our St. Louis forgery attorney has extensive legal experience handling various criminal defense cases, including stealing, fraud, and white-collar crimes. Our legal practice is here to help minimize your charges and get you the most favorable outcome for your case — Get started with a FREE consultation.

What Constitutes as a Forgery Charge in St. Louis?

The most commonly seen form of forgery is signing another person’s name without permission, usually onto a check or credit card receipt. However, forgery charges are not limited to falsifying checks and other financial documents. Any document can be forged, including driver’s licenses, other forms of identification, contracts, certificates, legal papers, and fake prescriptions.

Some factors that courts and prosecutors consider when determining the severity of forgery charges include:

  • The type of document forged
  • If there is a clear intent to commit the crime
  • The monetary value involved, if applicable
  • The criminal history of the defendant

Wondering whether the actions fit the crime? Let our law firm review your case today. Our experienced St. Louis criminal defense attorney will review the details against Missouri law and advise you on moving forward.

Penalties for Forgery in St. Louis

Like many other criminal charges, forgery is a serious offense. If convicted, you’ll be facing Class D felony charges. Once these charges are on your record, they can create A LOT of conflict for your future. Even after serving jail time and paying off your fines – A conviction on your record can hold you back from job opportunities, seeing your family, and ultimately, the life you want for yourself. Find out more about the collateral consequences of criminal charges in Missouri.

Forgery

To convict you of this offense, the State must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant, with the purpose of defrauding the person:

  • Used, possessed, or transferred, with the knowledge or belief that it would be used as genuine
  • Any writings or other items, including receipts, checks, and universal product codes
  • Knowing that it had been made or altered so that it purported to have genuineness, antiquity, rarity, ownership, or authorship that it did not possess

Forgery is considered a Class D Felony. Punishable by up to seven years in prison and fines of up to $10,000

Possession of a Forging Instrumentality

To convict you of this offense, the State must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant, with the purpose of committing forgery:

  • Made, causes to be made, or possessed
  • Any plate, mold, instrument, or device for making or altering any writing or anything other than writing

Forgery is considered a Class D Felony. Punishable by up to seven years in prison and fines of up to $10,000.

What to Do if You’ve Been Arrested for Forgery

If you’ve been arrested for forgery in St. Louis, remember you DO still have rights and should start practicing them immediately. “I wish to invoke my right to remain silent” – Aside from providing necessary information like your name and date of birth to law enforcement, you have the right to remain silent to avoid potentially implicating yourself. This can be invoked at any time.

Don’t make a statement or sign anything until an attorney is with you – You have the right to legal counsel to defend you. Once you have invoked your rights, be patient, be silent, and await further instructions from your attorney. You do NOT have to consent to a search – Although this may not be enough to stop a search, making your objections known from the beginning can help you (and your lawyer) when planning your defense strategy. As soon as you can make a phone call — Contact a St. Louis forgery attorney. They will immediately work on building an effective representation for you while providing sound advice to help you move forward in the best way possible. Whether you plead innocent or guilty, it’s crucial to find ALL of your options… before your trial.

Find the Best St. Louis Forgery Attorney for Your Case

Look for a criminal defense attorney that takes your future as seriously as YOU DO. Experienced in various criminal defense cases, including stealing, property damage, and weapons charges — Rose Legal Services will work hard to get you the best possible results. Let’s start your case off with a free consultation, take the time to thoroughly review and inspect your case, and create a STRONG defense. We’ll walk you through the legal process, ensuring that you understand your charges and your rights under the law.

St. Louis Forgery Attorney

If you’ve been wrongfully accused or made a mistake, take legal action today. Rose Legal Services exclusively defends clients against criminal defense and fraud charges in St. Louis County, St. Louis City, and surrounding areas. With nearly 20 years of experience, rest assured our criminal defense lawyers will work tirelessly & aggressively to defend you in a court of law.

  • Immediate & Effective Representation
  • Flat Fee Criminal Law Firm
  • Get The UNDIVIDED ATTENTION Your Case Needs
  • Take Legal Action TODAY
  • All Cases Begin With A FREE Consultation

You must retain a St. Louis criminal defense lawyer as soon as possible to help protect your freedom. Whether this is a first-time offense or you’ve been charged before, we can help you get the best possible results in your forgery case — Start building your defense today with a free consultation.

FAQs

Without a doubt, forgery is a serious crime. In Missouri, it’s classified as a Class D Felony charge. The penalties for such charges can result in up to 7 years in prison and fines of up to $10,000. Prosecutors will assess other factors like the type of document forged, the defendant’s criminal history, and any monetary values associated with the crime.

Forgery on its own involves a produced or altered object that is meant to be perceived as genuine, even though it is not. However, fraud is a much broader term that involves deceiving another person, which may be performed through the use of forgery.

Some of the common defenses we can use for fraud charges are:
Lack of Intent – There was no fraudulent intent, and you were unaware of the repercussions of your actions.
There was no loss – Arguing that the complainant incurred no loss as a result of the crime.
In violation of rights – The evidence obtained against the defendant violated their amendment rights.

The State accused me of 3 felonies that someone else committed. I hired Scott, and he got the charges dismissed!

Scott, have helped me throughout this whole process mentally. You are really amazing – I thank you so much for helping me!

Mr. Rose really helped me out with a difficult situation. He was great to work with and worked hard to get me a good outcome. I would definitely recommend him to others.