Forgery is a white collar criminal offense that involves creating a false written document with the intent to defraud. How To Commence A Special Proceeding ; 4.Order to Show Cause in a Special Proceeding. This law punishes those who create, complete, or alter certain written documents with the intent to defraud or deceive another person or entity. Today we would like to discuss a common criminal charge in connection with fake (forged) motor vehicle license plates. 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.