Fraud is a crime that alleges that someone took an action designed to deceive another party. The forgery provisions of the Penal Law are found in Article 170.There are three degrees each of forgery and criminal possession of a forged instrument. FORGERY AND RELATED OFFENSES ; 170.15, Forgery in the first degree. C FELONY ; 170.20, Criminal possession of a forged instrument in the third degree. For definitions of what forged instruments are, please see our article on forgery. What Is Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument? Are There Any Other Forgery Crimes?