Forgery by creation, alteration or deletion of data, information, image, program in computer

NRS 205.481 – Overview of Criminal Statutes Related to Forgery by creation, alteration or deletion of data, information, image, program, signal or sound contained in computer

If you or a loved one is charged with allegedly committing a crime involving forgery by creation, alternation, deletion of data, image, program, sound or signal, you could be subject of prosecution in criminal court and may be convicted of a felony offense.

According to NRS 205.481, a personal who willfully, knowingly and without previous authorization is engaged in the creation, alteration or deletion of any information, data, image, program signal or sound that is in any network, system or computer, if it is done on a printed or written document or instrument, has committed forgery, as outlined in NRS.205.090 and/or NRS 205.095.

NRS 205.090 states that a person who falsely makes, forges or counterfeits a record, charter, letters, patent, dead lead, will, bank bill or note, post note, check draft, etc. is guilty of forgery.

NRS 205.095 states that any person who with the intention of injuring or defrauding has:

• Made a false entry into a public record or account;
• Failed to make a true entry of any material in any public account or record, or
• Forged any letter or written communication whereby the opinions, conduct, sentiments, character, purpose or property is misrepresented is also guilty of forgery.

These crimes of forgery shall be punished as a category D felony. This is a felony where the court will sentence the person to a term of at least one year and a maximum of four years. The court also can impose a fine of as much as $5000.

Overview of Forgery in the State of Nevada

As the above statutes indicate, there are many types of forgery in Nevada, but it generally is in three parts to make a criminal charge:

1. The defendant passes or tries to pass some type of false instrument as genuine.

Some examples of this are:

• Signing a contract or a promissory note in the name of another party.
• Signing and attempting to pass a falsified check or travelers check
• Changing the terms of a property deed, trust, will, real estate lease or mortgage document
• Making counterfeit money to make purchases
• Making up a false court order

2. The defendant was aware the instrument was false.

The defendant must be aware that the document was false to be convicted on a forgery charge. For example, if a wife forges a signature on a stolen check and tells her husband to deposit it, the husband has not committed a crime if he thought the check was real.

3. The defendant intended to defraud another party.

The major element of a forgery case in Nevada is the defendant tries to use a forged document to commit fraud. This means the defendant was attempting to trick another person by passing off a fake document as real. Usually, intent to defraud is done because the person wants financial gain, power, better reputation or harm another person’s reputation.

Take Action Now By Contacting a Skilled and Aggressive Las Vegas Criminal Defense Attorney

If you have been charged with one of the forgery crimes above, you are facing a serious criminal charge. If you are convicted, you could receive one to four years in jail, a fine up to $5000, and a felony on your criminal record. This will make it difficult to find work, rent an apartment or go to college. Contact our law firm asap to schedule a free, confidential case review.