Wolf Law is proud to serve Denver and the surrounding metro area with compassionate and skilled criminal defense representation. Financial crimes like fraud and forgery may not involve physical violence, but they carry serious legal consequences that can impact your future, your reputation, and your freedom.
Led by Jeff Wolf, a trusted trial attorney and national legal commentator, Wolf Law helps clients throughout Colorado fight complex charges involving allegations of financial dishonesty.
What Is Fraud Under Colorado Law?
Fraud involves using deception for personal or financial gain. Under the Colorado Revised Statutes, fraud can take many forms, including:
- Check fraud: Writing or altering checks without authorization
- Credit card fraud: Using someone else’s card or account information
- Insurance fraud: Submitting false claims or misrepresenting facts
- Tax fraud: Intentionally underreporting or misrepresenting income
- Mortgage or loan fraud: Providing false information to obtain money or property
Fraud cases often overlap with other financial crimes such as theft or identity theft.
What Is Forgery Under Colorado Law?
Forgery involves creating, altering, or using a false document with the intent to defraud. In Colorado, this can include:
- Altering checks, contracts, or identification cards
- Creating counterfeit documents or signatures
- Presenting false legal documents, such as deeds or wills
- Using forged IDs or fake prescriptions
Colorado law recognizes several degrees of forgery, ranging from misdemeanors to serious felonies.
Penalties for Fraud and Forgery in Colorado
Penalties vary depending on the type of crime, the value involved, and whether the offense is charged as a misdemeanor or felony.
- Misdemeanor fraud/forgery: Can carry up to 364 days in jail and significant fines
- Felony fraud/forgery: May result in years in prison, restitution orders, and long-term criminal records
A conviction can also affect employment, professional licenses, credit, and personal reputation.
Attorney Jeff Wolf stresses:
“Fraud and forgery cases often hinge on intent. The prosecution must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a client knowingly acted to deceive. That’s where defense strategy becomes critical.”
How Fraud and Forgery Cases Are Prosecuted
Colorado prosecutors often rely on:
- Financial documents, banking records, or contracts
- Testimony from alleged victims
- Expert witnesses in digital forensics or handwriting analysis
- Online transactions, emails, or text communications
Because financial records can be complex, the state may present evidence in a way that makes the situation look worse than it really is.
Defenses to Fraud and Forgery
Wolf Law builds defenses based on the unique facts of each case. Potential strategies include:
- Lack of intent: Mistakes, misunderstandings, or clerical errors do not equal fraud.
- Mistaken identity: Digital evidence and signatures can be misattributed.
- Insufficient evidence: If records are incomplete, the state cannot meet its burden.
- Constitutional violations: Illegally obtained evidence may be suppressed.
Attorney and Partner Colleen Kelley has successfully challenged financial crime allegations in court by exposing weaknesses in the prosecution’s narrative and ensuring that every detail is examined.
The Human Side of Financial Crimes
At Wolf Law, we know fraud and forgery charges don’t always stem from malicious intent. Sometimes they result from financial pressure, addiction, or family struggles. We approach every case with compassion and fight for fair outcomes that focus on rehabilitation, not just punishment.
Why Local Representation Matters
Fraud and forgery cases in Colorado are handled in state courts such as Denver County Court, Jefferson County Courthouse, and Arapahoe District Court. Judges, prosecutors, and probation officers in these courts may take different approaches depending on the facts and history of the defendant.
Wolf Law’s deep knowledge of local courts — combined with Jeff Wolf’s credibility as a legal commentator on high-profile cases — helps us advocate effectively for our clients across the Denver Metro area.
Call Wolf Law Today
If you’re under investigation or have been charged with fraud or forgery in Colorado, don’t face the system alone. The stakes are too high.
Call Wolf Law today for a free consultation. Talk to Jeff Wolf and the Wolf Law team about your defense options and let us fight for your future.
