Monday, August 13, 2007

CREDIT CARD CRIMES:INTENT TO DEFRAUD BY PERSON AUTHORIZED TO FURNISH MONEY,GOODS OR SERVICES (FORGED OR EXPIRED OR REVOKED)

N.J.S.A. 2C:21-6e(1)
The defendant is charged in count of the indictment as follows:
(Read Count of the Indictment)
The applicable section of the statute reads as follows:
A person who is authorized by an issuer to furnish money, goods, services or anything else of value upon presentation of a credit card by the cardholder, or any agent or employees of such person, who, with intent to defraud the issuer or the cardholder, furnishes money, goods, services or anything else of value upon presentation of a credit card which he/she knows is forged, expired or revoked . . .is guilty of a crime.
In order to find the defendant guilty, the State must prove the following elements beyond a reasonable doubt:
1. The defendant was a person authorized or an agent or employee of a person authorized by the issuer to furnish money, goods, services or anything else of value upon presentation of a credit card by the cardholder.
2. The defendant furnished money, goods, services or anything else of value upon presentation of a credit card which he/she knew was forged, expired or revoked.
3. The defendant acted knowingly.
4. The defendant had the intent to defraud the issuer or cardholder.
The first element that the State must prove beyond a reasonable doubt is that the defendant was a person authorized or an agent or employee of a person authorized by the issuer to furnish money, goods, services or anything else of value upon presentation of a credit card by
CREDIT CARD CRIMES:
INTENT TO DEFRAUD BY PERSON
AUTHORIZED TO FURNISH MONEY,
GOODS OR SERVICES
(FORGED OR EXPIRED OR REVOKED)
N.J.S.A. 2C:21-6e(1)
PAGE 2OF 3
the cardholder.
“Issuer” means the business organization or financial institution which issues a credit card or its duly authorized agent.
“Credit card” means any tangible or intangible instrument or device issued with or without a fee by an issuer that can be used, alone or in connection with another means of account access, in obtaining money, goods, services or anything else of value on credit, including credit cards, credit plates, account numbers, or any other means of account access.
“Cardholder” means the person or organization named on the face of a credit
card to whom or for whose benefit the credit card is issued by an issuer.
The second element that the State must prove beyond a reasonable doubt is that the defendant furnished money, goods, services or anything else of value upon presentation of a credit card which he/she knew was forged, expired or revoked.
The term “expired credit card” means a credit card which is no longer valid because the term shown either on it or on documentation provided to the cardholder by the issuer has lapsed.
The term “revoked credit card” means a credit card which is no longer valid because permission to use it has been suspended or terminated by the issuer.
The third element that the State must prove beyond a reasonable doubt is that the defendant acted knowingly.
A person acts “knowingly” with respect to a result of his/her conduct if he/she is aware that it is practically certain that his/her conduct will cause such a result. A person acts knowingly with respect to the nature of his/her conduct if he/she is aware that his/her conduct is of that nature. “Knowing,” “with knowledge” or equivalent terms have the same meaning.
Knowledge is a condition of the mind which cannot be seen and can only be determined
CREDIT CARD CRIMES:
INTENT TO DEFRAUD BY PERSON
AUTHORIZED TO FURNISH MONEY,
GOODS OR SERVICES
(FORGED OR EXPIRED OR REVOKED)
N.J.S.A. 2C:21-6e(1)
PAGE 3OF 3
by inferences from conduct, words or acts. It is not necessary for the State to produce a witness or witnesses who could testify that the defendant acted knowingly.
The fourth element that the State must prove beyond a reasonable doubt is that the defendant had the intent to defraud the issue or cardholder.
A person acts “with intent” when he/she acts with purpose. A person acts purposely with respect to the nature of his/her conduct or a result thereof if it is his/her conscious objective to engage in conduct of that nature or to cause such a result. A person acts purposely with respect to attendant circumstances if he/she is aware of the existence of such circumstances or believes or hopes that they exist. One can be deemed to be acting purposely if he/she acts with design, with a purpose, with a particular objective, if the individual means to do what he/she does.
“To defraud” means to deprive a person of property or any interest, estate, or right by deceit or artifice, to cheat.
If you find that the State has proven all of the above elements beyond a reasonable doubt, then you must find the defendant guilty of the crime charged.
If, however, you find that the State has failed to prove any of the elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt, you must then find the defendant not guilty.