Ohio Bad Check Law
While most people are familiar with the idea of writing a check when there’s not enough money in the account to cover it, Ohio’s Passing Bad Checks law (O.R.C. 2913.11) also applies to electronic transfers, debit cards, and any other instance of fraudulently debiting funds that you know will be dishonored, or where a stop payment order will be issued.
It also applies when you reference an account that doesn’t exist or was opened with false information, or where you failed to pay the amount due within 10 days of receiving notice of the situation.
Passing Bad Checks in Ohio
In Ohio, passing bad checks become a criminal matter when the individual intends to commit fraud. Passing bad checks is a type of theft. Cleveland prosecutors grade the charge based on the amount of money involved. Amounts up to $500 are a first-degree misdemeanor, and can lead to a six-month jail sentence if convicted, plus $1,000 in fines.
Passing Bad Checks Felony – 5th-Degree Felony
Bad checks of $500 to $5,000 in value to a single business or individual is a fifth-degree felony, with penalties for passing bad checks seeing a maximum sentence of one year, and $2,500 in fines. If convicted of passing bad checks to multiple businesses or individuals in the amount of $1,000 to $5,000, you’ll also face a fifth-degree felony charge, with the same penalties.
4th-Degree Passing Bad Check Felony
The highest graded charge is a fourth-degree felony and applies when you passed checks in the amount of $5,000 to $100,000 dollars. You may face 18 months in prison if convicted. Reach out to a criminal defense lawyer.
There are defenses in Passing Bad Checks cases, and the attorneys at Patituce & Associates have worked both sides of these cases as prosecutors and defense attorneys.
Trust our experience when you’re facing passing bad checks charges in Cleveland. Call us today at (440) 471-7811 for a free consultation.