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    A Connecticut Fake ID Arrest is a Felony

    A Connecticut Fake ID Arrest is a Felony

    College students from Fairfield University, Yale, Quinnipiac, UConn Stamford, and Southern Connecticut State University need to know that a fake ID arrest in Stamford, Greenwich, Darien, Fairfield, or New Haven is serious. It’s a felony—specifically, it’s a violation of Second Degree Forgery pursuant to C.G.S. 53a-139. Even more importantly, just keeping the Fake ID in your wallet or purse can get you arrested in Stamford, Fairfield, or Greenwich for 53a-139 Forgery in the Second Degree.

    Here’s why police and prosecutors take it so seriously…

    Fake IDs usually involve driver’s licenses, which are official government-issued documents and instruments. As any top Greenwich or Stamford criminal lawyer will agree, law enforcement is as sensitive as ever to the manipulation and forgery of government identification documents. The primary concern is when these fake IDs are used to enter the country or are used in furtherance of terrorist acts. Using fake IDs to buy beer and to get into bars is clearly a secondary concern for Connecticut police, but one that is still aggressively enforced by Stamford, Danbury, and Greenwich police.

      The Second Degree Forgery Law – C.G.S. § 53a-139

      With respect to carrying Fake IDs, you can be found guilty of Second Degree Forgery under CGS 53a-139 if, with the intent to deceive or defraud another, you alter or possess a government-issued identification instrument. This includes altering or possessing fake driver’s licenses, passports, or social security cards. This crime is a Class D felony, carrying up to 5 years in jail, a $5000 fine and probation.

      Possessing a Fake ID in Connecticut – Even if You Don’t Show It – Is a Crime

      The best Connecticut criminal lawyers will sometimes see teenagers getting arrested for the mere possession of a Fake ID in their wallet. In fact, even during a routine traffic stop in Stamford for speeding, an officer can try and look through your wallet. If the police officer observes a fake ID in your wallet—even if you show them your legitimate / legal ID—then they can arrest you for 53a-139 Forgery in the Second Degree. But how can they arrest you for Forgery in the Second Degree if you don’t show them this fake ID? The answer is that you have no expectation of privacy in anything that the police get their hands on. That’s why it is critical to consult a top Stamford or Norwalk criminal lawyer prior to voluntarily offering any information or documents to a police officer.

      To be clear, police do not always have the right to rummage through your wallet or search inside your glove compartment or car trunk without a warrant. If they do so illegally, then a motion to suppress the evidence they find as a result of these illegal searches can be filed and heard by a Connecticut Superior Court judge. So if you are arrested for possession of a fake ID in Stamford, Greenwich, Fairfield, Norwalk or Darien, then you should speak to a top Stamford criminal lawyer to figure out if your constitutional search and seizure rights have been violated.

      Contact a Stamford Connecticut 53a-139 Forgery / Fake ID Lawyer Today

      Fake IDs are not as harmless as they seem. And while college students at Yale, UConn, Quinnipiac, Fairfield University and other schools are busy partying and getting into bars with Fake IDs, what they don’t realize and appreciate are the dangers of using them. Don’t let a felony arrest get in the way of your future. Contact a Stamford-based Mark Sherman Law criminal lawyer today to find out how we can help you clear your record of your felony Fake ID arrest charges.