TAMPERING NJ WITH PUBLIC RECORDS—N.J.S.A. 2C:28-7
If you have been charged with 2C:28-7 you need to know that this is a criminal offense exposing you to possible jail time, criminal record, fines of up to $15,000.00 if charged as a 3rd degree crime, if convicted. I have 26 plus years of handling criminal violations and can help you possibly avoid conviction, jail time, criminal record, max fines. Call me at (732)-337-7922 for evaluation of your circumstances and vigorous and competent defense.
ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE OF HOW THIS VIOLATION USUSALLY OCCURS:
You have no New Jersey driver’s license because NJ Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) has revoked it for disciplinary violations. You alter your driver’s license by changing the name–or date of birth–or driver’s license number–to create the false impression that your identity is other than who you actually are and that you are licensed by the State of New Jersey to operate a motor vehicle. The police subsequently stop you for speeding and you show the officer the newly created license that was altered. He notices that the physical description on it does not match your physical appearance. He calls it in to MVC. Upon examination, MVC officials determine that the license is a fake and that they cannot identify you. Have you just committed a serious criminal offense? Yes.
N.J.S. 2C:28-7—THE ACTUAL LAW
a. “Offense defined. A person commits an offense if he:
(1) Knowingly makes a false entry in, or false alteration of, any record, document or thing belonging to, or received or kept by, the government
for information or record, or required by law to be kept by others for
information of the government;
(2) Makes, presents, offers for filing, or uses any record, document or thing
knowing it to be false, and with purpose that it be taken as a genuine part
of information or records referred to in paragraph one (1);
(3) Purposely and unlawfully destroys, conceals, removes, mutilates, or
otherwise impairs the verity or availability of any such record, document
or thing.
b. Grading. An offense under subsection a. is a disorderly persons offense unless the
actor’s purpose is to defraud or injure anyone, in which case the offense is a crime
of the third degree.
c. A person commits a crime of the fourth degree if he purposely and unlawfully alters, destroys, conceals, removes or disables any camera or other monitoring
device including any videotape, film or other medium used to record sound or
images that is installed in a patrol vehicle.”
The answer to the question is YES. State v. Fareed Al-Deen, A-0124-10 (App. Div. 2011). You have arguably committed a third degree offense, punishable, if convicted, of a monetary fine of up to $15,000.00, plus possible jail time of a minimum of three (3) years and a maximum of five years, presumptive four (4) years. N.J.S.A. 2C:43-3(b).
