§ 14-119. Forgery of notes, checks, and other securities; counterfeiting of instruments. - North Carolina Statutes

Article 21.

Forgery.

§ 14‑119.  Forgery ofnotes, checks, and other securities; counterfeiting of instruments.

(a)        It is unlawful forany person to forge or counterfeit any instrument, or possess any counterfeitinstrument, with the intent to injure or defraud any person, financialinstitution, or governmental unit. Any person in violation of this subsectionis guilty of a Class I felony.

(b)        Any person whotransports or possesses five or more counterfeit instruments with the intent toinjure or defraud any person, financial institution, or governmental unit isguilty of a Class G felony.

(c)        As used in thisArticle, the term:

(1)        "Counterfeit"means to manufacture, copy, reproduce, or forge an instrument that purports tobe genuine, but is not, because it has been falsely copied, reproduced, forged,manufactured, embossed, encoded, duplicated, or altered.

(2)        "Financialinstitution" means any mutual fund, money market fund, credit union,savings and loan association, bank, or similar institution, either foreign ordomestic.

(3)        "Governmentalunit" means the United States, any United States territory, any state ofthe United States, any political subdivision, agency, or instrumentality of anystate, or any foreign jurisdiction.

(4)        "Instrument"means (i) any currency, bill, note, warrant, check, order, or similarinstrument of or on any financial institution or governmental unit, or anycashier or officer of the institution or unit; or (ii) any security issued by,or on behalf of, any corporation, financial institution, or governmental unit. (1819, c. 994, s. 1, P.R.;R.C., c. 34, s. 60; Code, s. 1030; Rev., s. 3419; C.S., s. 4293; 1979, c. 760,s. 5; 1979, 2nd Sess., c. 1316, s. 47; 1981, c. 63, s. 1; c. 179, s. 14; 1983,c. 397, s. 1; 2002‑175, s. 1.)