Counterfeiting Counts as Theft

 Posted on November 26, 2018 in Theft

A Chicago man allegedly scammed potentially dozens of people by selling them counterfeit concert tickets. He was recently caught after he sold a woman two $125 Imagine Dragon tickets on Craigslist, who took the tickets to the concert in June only to learn that they were “very good fakes,” according to the ticket checker. The woman later reported the defendant’s license plates to the police, who discovered that they were the plates of a rental car rented by the defendant’s friend and loaned to him. The defendant, who is under investigation for selling numerous counterfeit concert tickets, has five prior convictions for forgery, counterfeiting, and fraud in Texas and Illinois. A number of charges can be slapped onto those who sell counterfeit tickets.

Forgery Charges for Producing or Possessing a Counterfeit Ticket

Under Illinois statute 720 ILCS 5/17-3, forgery has been committed when a person knowingly commits any of the following:

• Makes a false document or alters a document that could be used to defraud another;
• Issues, sells, or otherwise gives such a document to another knowing that it is fake or has been altered;
• Possess with intent to deliver said document;
• Unlawfully uses the digital signature of another; or
• Unlawfully uses the signature of another to create an electronic signature.

Forgery is usually a Class 3 felony, punishable by five to 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $25,000. It is a Class A misdemeanor to forge an academic degree or coin, punishable by one to three years in prison.

Theft Charges

In addition to any forgery charges that a defendant may face, they may also be charged with theft. Theft occurs when a person unlawfully procures another’s possessions or assets without intent to return them. As such, selling a counterfeit ticket will incur a theft charge. Depending on the amount that the ticket or tickets were sold for, the theft charges may be misdemeanor or felony offenses.

Check Fraud and Counterfeiting Money

There are various forms of check fraud, including kiting checks, passing bad checks, and check floating. Another type of check fraud is using counterfeit or forging checks. This includes forging a signature, changing the amount the check was made to, changing the name of who it was made to, or altering it in any other way. Under Title 18, Section 471 of the United States Code, manufacturing counterfeit money is punishable under federal law by a fine of $5,000 and 15 years in prison. Possessing counterfeit money is punishable by $15,000 and 15 years in prison.

Contact a Cook County Criminal Attorney Today

Any type of counterfeiting or forgery is a serious crime. You may be up against half a dozen charges as well, including theft and fraud. You need to call an attorney at once. Contact the office of dedicated Rolling Meadows forgery attorney Christopher M. Cosley today at 847-394-3200 for a free consultation.

Sources:

https://www.moneyfactory.gov/resources/lawsandregulations.html

https://journaltimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/alleged-ticket-scammer-caught-sold-fakes-in-wisconsin-illinois/article_ea5d852c-7d98-5f76-b4ff-57f54521d962.html