A. Every person who, with intent to defraud, has in his or her possession any forged, altered or counterfeit negotiable note, bill, draft or other evidence of debt issued or purporting to have been issued by any corporation or company duly authorized for that purpose by the laws of this state or of any other state, government or country, the forgery of which is hereinbefore declared to be punishable, knowing the same to be forged, altered or counterfeited, with intent to utter the same as true or as false, or to cause the same to be so uttered, is punishable as follows:

1. If the value of the instrument is less than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), the person shall be guilty of misdemeanor forgery punishable by imprisonment in the county jail for a term not to exceed one (1) year, or by a fine not to exceed One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), or by both such imprisonment and fine;

2. If the value of the instrument is One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) or more but less than Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($2,500.00), the person shall be guilty of felony forgery punishable by imprisonment in the custody of the Department of Corrections for a term not to exceed two (2) years or in the county jail for a term not to exceed one (1) year, or by a fine not to exceed One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), or by both such imprisonment and fine;

3. If the value of the instrument is Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($2,500.00) or more but less than Fifteen Thousand Dollars ($15,000.00), the person shall be guilty of felony forgery punishable by imprisonment in the custody of the Department of Corrections for a term not to exceed five (5) years or in the county jail for a term not to exceed one (1) year, or by a fine not to exceed One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), or by both such imprisonment and fine; or

4. If the value of the instrument is Fifteen Thousand Dollars ($15,000.00) or more, the person shall be guilty of felony forgery punishable by imprisonment in the custody of the Department of Corrections for a term not to exceed eight (8) years, or by a fine not to exceed One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), or by both such imprisonment and fine.

B. For purposes of this section, a series of offenses may be aggregated into one offense when they are the result of the formulation of a plan or scheme or the setting up of a mechanism which, when put into operation, results in the taking or diversion of money or property on a recurring basis. When all acts result from a continuing course of conduct, they may be aggregated into one crime. Acts forming an integral part of the first taking which facilitate subsequent takings, or acts taken in preparation of several takings which facilitate subsequent takings, are relevant to determine the intent of the party to commit a continuing crime.

R.L. 1910, § 2630. Amended by State Question No. 780, Initiative Petition No. 404, § 18, adopted at election held on November 8, 2016, eff. July 1, 2017; Laws 2018, c. 116, § 7, eff. Nov. 1, 2018.