Ohio Code 2913.43 – Securing writings by deception
(A) No person, by deception, shall cause another to execute any writing that disposes of or encumbers property, or by which a pecuniary obligation is incurred.
Attorney's Note
Under the Ohio Code, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Felony of the second degree | 2 years or more | up to $15,000 |
| Felony of the third degree | 9 months to 5 years | up to $10,000 |
| Felony of the fourth degree | 6 to 18 months | up to $5,000 |
| Felony of the fifth degree | 6 to 12 months | up to $2,500 |
| Misdemeanor of the first degree | up to 180 days | up to $1,000 |
Terms Used In Ohio Code 2913.43
- Active duty service member: means any member of the armed forces of the United States performing active duty under title 10 of the United States Code. See Ohio Code 2913.01
- Another: when used to designate the owner of property which is the subject of an offense, includes not only natural persons but also every other owner of property. See Ohio Code 1.02
- Clerk of court: An officer appointed by the court to work with the chief judge in overseeing the court's administration, especially to assist in managing the flow of cases through the court and to maintain court records.
- Deception: means knowingly deceiving another or causing another to be deceived by any false or misleading representation, by withholding information, by preventing another from acquiring information, or by any other conduct, act, or omission that creates, confirms, or perpetuates a false impression in another, including a false impression as to law, value, state of mind, or other objective or subjective fact. See Ohio Code 2913.01
- Disabled adult: means a person who is eighteen years of age or older and has some impairment of body or mind that makes the person unable to work at any substantially remunerative employment that the person otherwise would be able to perform and that will, with reasonable probability, continue for a period of at least twelve months without any present indication of recovery from the impairment, or who is eighteen years of age or older and has been certified as permanently and totally disabled by an agency of this state or the United States that has the function of so classifying persons. See Ohio Code 2913.01
- Elderly person: means a person who is sixty-five years of age or older. See Ohio Code 2913.01
- Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
- Person: includes an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, and association. See Ohio Code 1.59
- Property: means real and personal property. See Ohio Code 1.59
- Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
- Services: include labor, personal services, professional services, rental services, public utility services including wireless service as defined in division (F)(1) of section 128. See Ohio Code 2913.01
- Whoever: includes all persons, natural and artificial; partners; principals, agents, and employees; and all officials, public or private. See Ohio Code 1.02
- Writing: means any computer software, document, letter, memorandum, note, paper, plate, data, film, or other thing having in or upon it any written, typewritten, or printed matter, and any token, stamp, seal, credit card, badge, trademark, label, or other symbol of value, right, privilege, license, or identification. See Ohio Code 2913.01
(B)(1) Whoever violates this section is guilty of securing writings by deception.
(2) Except as otherwise provided in this division or division (B)(3) of this section, securing writings by deception is a misdemeanor of the first degree. If the value of the property or the obligation involved is one thousand dollars or more and less than seven thousand five hundred dollars, securing writings by deception is a felony of the fifth degree. If the value of the property or the obligation involved is seven thousand five hundred dollars or more and is less than one hundred fifty thousand dollars, securing writings by deception is a felony of the fourth degree. If the value of the property or the obligation involved is one hundred fifty thousand dollars or more, securing writings by deception is a felony of the third degree.
(3) If the victim of the offense is an elderly person, disabled adult, active duty service member, or spouse of an active duty service member, division (B)(3) of this section applies. Except as otherwise provided in division (B)(3) of this section, securing writings by deception is a felony of the fifth degree. If the value of the property or obligation involved is one thousand dollars or more and is less than seven thousand five hundred dollars, securing writings by deception is a felony of the fourth degree. If the value of the property or obligation involved is seven thousand five hundred dollars or more and is less than thirty-seven thousand five hundred dollars, securing writings by deception is a felony of the third degree. If the value of the property or obligation involved is thirty-seven thousand five hundred dollars or more, securing writings by deception is a felony of the second degree. If the victim of the offense is an elderly person, in addition to any other penalty imposed for the offense, the offender shall be required to pay full restitution to the victim and to pay a fine of up to fifty thousand dollars. The clerk of court shall forward all fines collected under division (B)(3) of this section to the county department of job and family services to be used for the reporting and investigation of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation or for the provision or arrangement of protective services under sections 5101.61 to 5101.71 of the Revised Code.