Check fraud of any kind can result in serious criminal penalties in our state. Purposely writing a bad check, signing another person’s name to a check or knowingly attempting to cash a fraudulent check are all forms of fraud that may be punishable by a fine or jail time.
For example, a 20-year-old man from Warren, Ohio, is facing various criminal charges after attempting to cash illegitimate checks. The man allegedly tried to cash a suspicious check at a bank and left without cashing it when he was asked for details about the check. The bank contacted the owner of Burk Physical Therapy after the man reportedly tried to cash a suspicious check from the owner’s business account.
The owner looked into her accounts and discovered that two fraudulent checks, each for $1,651.47, had been cashed at other Huntington Bank branches. The check numbers had apparently been used on legitimate checks cashed by employees, but the design of the fraudulent checks did not match checks previously drawn. The man has been charged with theft by deception and theft by unlawful taking and access device fraud, as well as two counts of forgery.
White collar crimes, including check fraud, typically involve intentional deception for financial gain. If one has been charged with a fraud crime, the best defense is to prove that the accused lacked the requisite intent to commit the crime. If one can show that they did not have the intent to deceive, it is unlikely that they will be convicted for fraud.