Maryland Check Fraud Penalties

Check fraud may not seem like a serious charge, but it can have serious consequences if you are convicted. The state of Maryland takes fraud seriously and check fraud investigations are often thorough in nature. Individuals charged with check fraud could face a felony conviction, and exorbitant fines. If you have been charged with check fraud, contact a lawyer. A skilled fraud attorney can mitigate the Maryland check fraud penalties you may face.

Crimes Associated With Check Fraud

There are a couple of different potential crimes involved with check fraud. One of them is when a person obtains property or services with checks that they know are not valid. A person can get in trouble for that. An example of using an invalid check would be a person issuing a check, knowing that there is not enough money in the account to cover the check at the time.

The value of the services or property they might be trying to obtain with that bad check will determine what kind of Maryland check fraud penalties they may face. If they were using a check for something less than a $100, then it would be a misdemeanor and would carry a maximum jail sentence of 90 days and also a fine. If they were trying to get services that were at least $10,000, then the crime is a felony and the maximum penalty is increased to 15 years.

It is important to know that those penalties are all going to change as of October 1st. The law regarding the penalties is going to be a little bit different, but there is not any sort of substantial change.

Potential Penalties and Consequences

Maryland check fraud penalties depend on the value of the check and what services or property the person was attempting to get by passing the bad check. The lesser the value is, the smaller the jail sentence. The minimum is 90 days. The greater the value is, larger the potential penalty can be. That would be 25 years.

It is important to understand that not only is there potentially a jail penalty and a fine, but there is also the issue of potentially having restitution from the person who gave the services for property and did not get compensated by way of the check.

If someone were to go court on something like this and they had a completely clean record, it is possible that they would not serve any jail time. Whether it was their first offense or their fifth offense, one of the most important goals of the court would be to make sure that the victim was made whole. Restitution would be a part of any potential sentence that the court would pass down.

How Can a Person Tell If They Are Being Investigated for Check Fraud?

One of the first things that would happen is they will receive something from the bank regarding the check being returned for insufficient funds. They might get paperwork from the court or if it is something a bit more complex, it is possible that they would get contacted by police officer who wants to tell them that they want to speak with them regarding an investigation.

Benefit of an Attorney

If you have been charged with check fraud, contact a lawyer today. Maryland check fraud penalties can majorly impact someone’s life. An attorney will have the resources to conduct an investigation of their own, collect the necessary evidence, and use that evidence to build your case. Seek the guidance of a Maryland criminal lawyer today, and know that you are in capable hands.