Forged a Dor Alon check and increased it from 268 to 47 thousand shekels: the court's verdict

A check for 268.62 shekels, sent by the company Dor Alon Gas Technologies to a customer as a deposit refund, reached the hands of a Ramle resident—a fish shop owner—and was altered. The amount was increased to 47,262.62 shekels, the beneficiary's name was changed, and it was endorsed to the business owner.

After denying the charges and undergoing a trial, he was convicted of forgery, using a forged document, and obtaining something by fraud. The Magistrate's Court in Ramle sentenced him to six months of imprisonment to be served as community service, alongside a suspended sentence and a fine of 4,000 shekels.

According to the case details, the defendant deposited the forged check into his account at a bank branch in Ramle, with his name, signature, and ID number appearing on the back. Despite this, the defendant denied the facts of the indictment. The case proceeded to the hearing of evidence, at which point he was convicted of all offenses: forging a document with intent, using a forged document, and obtaining something by fraud.

At the sentencing stage, the prosecution requested actual imprisonment. Conversely, the defense attorney argued that the defendant was willing to return the stolen amount and requested an assessment for community service. The court clarified that if the funds were deposited into the court's treasury, it would consider allowing community service; otherwise, he would face imprisonment behind bars.

Ultimately, the defendant deposited the full amount stolen from Dor Alon into the court's treasury. In sentencing, the judge considered the restitution as a mitigating factor, noting that the defendant is an independent business owner and that community service might impact his livelihood.