Counterfeiting And Forgery
Forgery is the crime of producing, making, or adapting objects or documents to defraud another. When fraud leads to someone being deceived out of money, additional charges may be added. Counterfeiting is making or creating an unauthorized imitation of a genuine article with the intent to defraud.
Under the USC (United States Federal Criminal Code), counterfeiting and forgery are serious federal offenses.
Chapter25
470. Counterfeit Acts Committed Outside The United States
A person who, outside the United States, engages in the act of:
- making, dealing, or possessing any counterfeit obligation or other security of the United States; or;
- making, dealing, or possessing any plate, stone, analog, digital, or electronic image, or other thing, or any part thereof, used to counterfeit such obligation or security,
- if such an act would constitute a violation of section 471, 473, or 474 if committed within the United States, shall be punished as is provided for the like offense within the United States.
471. Obligations Or Securities Of United States
Whoever, with intent to defraud, falsely makes, forges, counterfeits, or alters any obligation or other security of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned under federal charges not more than 20 years, or both.
472. Uttering Counterfeit Obligations Or Securities
Whoever, with intent to defraud, passes, utters, publishes, or sells, or attempts to pass, utter, publish, or sell, or with like intent brings into the United States or keeps in possession or conceals any falsely made, forged, counterfeited, or altered obligation or other security of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both.
473. Dealing In Counterfeit Obligations Or Securities
Whoever buys, sells, exchanges, transfers, receives, or delivers any false, forged, counterfeited, or altered obligation or other security of the United States, with the intent that the same be passed, published, or used as true and genuine, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both.
474. Plates, Stones, Or Analog, Digital, Or Electronic Images For Counterfeiting Obligations Or Securities
The following prohibitions are also covered falseful by USC Chapter 25:
- 474A. Deterrents to counterfeiting of obligations and securities
- 475. Imitating obligations or securities; advertisements
- 476. Taking impressions of tools used for obligations or securities
- 477. Possessing or selling impressions of tools used for obligations or securities
- 478. Foreign obligations or securities
- 479. Uttering counterfeit foreign obligations or securities
- 480. Possessing counterfeit foreign obligations or securities
- 481. Plates, stones, or analog, digital, or electronic images for counterfeiting foreign obligations or securities
- 482. Foreign bank notes
- 483. Uttering counterfeit foreign bank notes
- 484. Connecting parts of different notes
- 485. Coins or bars
- 486. Uttering coins of gold, silver or other metal
- 487. Making or possessing counterfeit dies for coins
- 488. Making or possessing counterfeit dies for foreign coins
- 489. Making or possessing likeness of coins
- 490. Minor coins
- 491. Tokens or paper used as money
- 492. Forfeiture of counterfeit paraphernalia
- 493. Bonds and obligations of certain lending agencies
- 494. Contractors’ bonds, bids, and public records
- 495. Contracts, deeds, and powers of attorney
- 496. Customs matters
- 497. Letters patent
- 498. Military or naval discharge certificates
- 499. Military, naval, or official passes
- 500. Money orders
- 501. Postage stamps, postage meter stamps, and postal cards
- 502. Postage and revenue stamps of foreign governments
- 503. Postmarking stamps
- 504. Printing and filming of United States and foreign obligations and securities
- 505. Seals of courts; signatures of judges or court officers
- 506. Seals of departments or agencies
- 507. Ship’s papers
- 508. Transportation requests of Government
- 509. Possessing and making plates or stones for Government transportation requests
- 510. Forging endorsements on Treasury checks or bonds or securities of the United States
- 511. Altering or removing motor vehicle identification numbers
- 511A. Unauthorized application of theft prevention decal or device
- 512. Forfeiture of certain motor vehicles and motor vehicle parts
- 513. Securities of the States and private entities
- 514. Fictitious obligations
Legal Support
Counterfeiting and forgery is a serious federal criminal offense. One that leads to dire consequences. People who get to be accused of such criminal violations will inevitably be subjected to dire legal proceedings.
Without proper legal representation, an accused will undoubtedly face long prison time along with costly legal fines. To help get out of legal conflicts, it would be in the accused’s best course of action to seek the help of a federal criminal defense attorney.