The forgery and fraud offenses are offenses perceived by the legislator and courts as severe offenses for which are imposed, many times, even prison sentences. There is good reason for the fact that the legislator has dedicated to such an entire chapter as part of the Penal Law. Such offenses are frequently referred to court, and so since the offense, by definition, includes many diversified criminal acts.
For example: Acts of falsification of documents, signatures or various certificates, will also amount to the offense of forgery. Additionally, an act of receiving any benefit, not only financial, while presenting false representation and fraud, may too be defined as the offense of obtaining by fraud.
Risks and punishment
As stated above, while these offenses are perceived by some of the public as relatively “light” offenses out of the erroneous assumption that so long as there are no bodily damages such are not severe offenses, the courts and the legislator take a completely opposite approach.
Suspects and defendants “enjoy” days, and sometimes months in real detention or under restricting terms, at the end of which the courts also sentences them to significant