Los Angeles Check Fraud Defense Attorneys | LA Criminal Lawyers
Defined under California Penal Code section 476, check fraud is the possession of or attempt to pass altered or forged personal, cashier, or money order checks from a real or fictitious financial institution with the intent to defraud another. This form of check fraud is also considered forgery and is considered a “wobbler” offense, meaning it can be prosecuted as either a felony or misdemeanor.
Another form of check fraud is commonly referred to as “NSF,” or writing bad checks. It is also considered a “wobbler” offense, making it eligible to be prosecuted as either a misdemeanor or felony crime. Defined under California Penal code section 476a(a), it is a crime for a person to knowingly pass a check associated with a bank account with insufficient funds.
What Are The California Penalties For Check Fraud?
The penalties for a check fraud conviction in California commonly involve the following:
- Imprisonment up to a 1 year in county jail on misdemeanors or up to 3 years in state prison on felony convictions.
- Summary (unsupervised) probation on misdemeanors or formal (supervised) probation on felonies.
- Fines, penalty assessments and victim restitution.
- Community service or labor.
- Inclusion in Chex systems
Los Angeles Check Fraud Defense Experts Since 1987
We specialize in defending individuals accused of forgery and check fraud throughout Southern California. As former special prosecutors with the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office and criminal defense experts since 1987, we utilize our decades of criminal law experience to ensure our clients receive the best possible outcomes. Please call us at (888) 579-4844 for a free no obligation consultation to discuss your case and options. Our main office is located in West Los Angeles, however, we maintain satellite locations for our clients’ convenience in Torrance, Long Beach, Pasadena, Glendale, West Covina, Oxnard, Westlake Village, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Orange, and Corona.