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Prescription Forgery
Manchester NJ Prescription Forgery Lawyer
Forging a prescription tablet or “blank” is a felony criminal offense in Ocean County and elsewhere in New Jersey. It is a third degree crime that carries as much as 5 years in prison to alter, forge a signature, or otherwise fabricate a prescription so it will be filled. If you are facing a forgery charge involving a prescription, your case will be heard at the Ocean County Superior Court in Toms River since this is the court that presides over all felony offenses issued in the county. Whether you were arrested in Brick, Toms River, Stafford, Lakewood, Manchester, Barnegat or another municipality, the case will have to be defended by an attorney who is well acquainted with the defense of indictable criminal charges at the Superior Court (i.e. only the initial arraignment is handled in municipal court). The team of criminal attorneys at Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall can obviously satisfy this requirement inasmuch as we are former county and municipal prosecutors who have been defending cases at the county courthouse in Toms River for literally decades. Give us a call for a free consultation 24/7. A lawyer is available immediately at (732) 286-6500.
Prescription Forgery Offense Under N.J.S.A. 2C:21-1
Under N.J.S.A. 2C:21-1 forgery of a prescription blank, tablet or other document used to obtain medication from a pharmacy, medical provider or other entity is an indictable crime in the state of New Jersey. Specifically, forgery is defined under the statute in the following manner:
A person is guilty of forgery if with purpose to defraud or injure anyone, or with knowledge that he is facilitating a fraud or injury to be perpetrated by anyone, the actor: Alters or changes any writing of another without his authorization. Makes, completes, executes, authenticates, issues or transfers any writing so that it purports to be the act of another who did not authorize that act or of a fictitious person, or to have been executed at a time or place or in a numbered sequence other than was in fact the case, or to be a copy of an original when no such original existed.
Most commonly these charges arise in the context of prescription forgery where someone changes the quantity or dosage on an otherwise valid prescription given to them by a licensed physician of some kind, where they duplicate or copy a valid prescription given to them by a licensed physician, or where someone completes a prescription script that has been stolen from a licensed physician.
Prescription forgery is a third degree crime under the statute. Third degree crimes carry with them possible jail time of up to five years, with the presumption being that the time served will be between three and five years if convicted. Additionally, if you are convicted, third degree crimes can expose you to fines of up to $15,000. Irrespective of the situation under which your charges arose, these are serious offenses that you cannot afford to face alone.
Toms River NJ Prescription Forgery Defense Lawyers
The defense lawyers at Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall have over 100 years of collective experience defending against prescription legend drug charges in Ocean County, including allegations of forgery. Our attorneys even include former prosecutors in Ocean County. So if you or someone you know has been charged with prescription forgery in Tuckerton, Seaside Heights, Beachwood, Lacey or Eagleswood, please do not hesitate to contact us today for a free consultation with an experienced attorney about the particulars of your case. A lawyer can be reached now at (732) 286-6500.