Los Angeles Check Fraud Lawyer – CPC 476

The term “check fraud” encompasses several different crimes involving the use of checks to illegally obtain money from a banking institution. The penalties for check fraud cover a wide range. In order for your West Covina criminal lawyer to evaluate your case, he or she will need to know the nature of the charges against you and the amount of money involved.

Check Fraud Crimes

The following crimes all constitute forms of check fraud:

• Check forgery – Check forgery involves impermissibly altering a check in any of a variety of ways, including by changing the dollar amount or signing someone else’s name.
• Embezzlement – Embezzlement is a form of check fraud, engaged in by businesses and usually involving multiple parties, involving misallocation of assets.
• Check floating – Check floating involves a party writing a check and making a deposit to cover the amount afterward.
• Check kiting – Check kiting involves using transactions with multiple banks to cover bad checks until a legitimate deposit is made.
• Bad check writing – Bad check writing involves writing a check without sufficient funds to cover it.

 Check Fraud Penalties

The amount of money involved is a significant factor in determining whether you will be charged with misdemeanor or felony check fraud. Generally, if you have been charged with misdemeanor check fraud, it is unlikely you will face jail time. On the other hand, if you have been charged with felony check fraud, jail is a more realistic possibility.

For instance, if you are convicted of floating a check for $100.00, your West Covina criminal lawyer will argue that you should pay no more than a minimal fine and not face jail time because the crime was relatively minor and involved a small sum of money. On the other hand, if you are convicted of engaging in a large-scale embezzlement scheme, you may face a large fine and significant jail time, but your West Covina criminal lawyer may be able to reduce your punishment by negotiating a plea deal with the prosecution or raising arguments that mitigate against punishing you harshly.

Given the wide variation in punishments for check fraud, it is important that you consult a West Covina criminal lawyer as soon as possible after you are charged in order to discuss and evaluate your case. Experienced West Covina criminal lawyer Daniel Cota can help you understand your rights and options.  For a free consultation, please contact Daniel Cota, Esq. at (800) 351-6860.