Prosecution Policy—Interspousal Forgery of Government Checks

It is the general policy of the Department not to prosecute for the interspousal forgery of government checks, because this type of forgery usually emanates from a domestic dispute and is better resolved through either state prosecution or civil litigation. An exception to the general rule against federal prosecution exists where there is independent evidence of intent to defraud, e.g., a court order prohibiting negotiation of a Treasury check, or where there are aggravating circumstances present.