Bill Text: MI HB6510 | 2009-2010 | 95th Legislature | Introduced


Bill Title: Crimes; fraud; value thresholds for crime of false pretenses; revise. Amends sec. 218 of 1931 PA 328 (MCL 750.218).

Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Democrat 18-1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-11-10 - Referred To Second Reading [HB6510 Detail]

Download: Michigan-2009-HB6510-Introduced.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HOUSE BILL No. 6510

 

September 29, 2010, Introduced by Reps. Nathan, Rick Jones, Warren, Tlaib, Slavens, Lisa Brown, Kandrevas, Haugh, Melton, Cushingberry, Bettie Scott, Young, Geiss, Stanley, Smith, Dean, Ebli, Johnson and Womack and referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

 

     A bill to amend 1931 PA 328, entitled

 

"The Michigan penal code,"

 

by amending section 218 (MCL 750.218), as amended by 2004 PA 154.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 218. (1) A person who, with the intent to defraud or

 

cheat makes or uses a false pretense to do 1 or more of the

 

following is guilty of a crime punishable as provided in this

 

section:

 

     (a) Cause a person to grant, convey, assign, demise, lease, or

 

mortgage land or an interest in land.

 

     (b) Obtain a person's signature on a forged written

 

instrument.

 

     (c) Obtain from a person any money or personal property or the

 


use of any instrument, facility, article, or other valuable thing

 

or service.

 

     (d) By means of a false weight or measure obtain a larger

 

amount or quantity of property than was bargained for.

 

     (e) By means of a false weight or measure sell or dispose of a

 

smaller amount or quantity of property than was bargained for.

 

     (2) If the land, interest in land, money, personal property,

 

use of the instrument, facility, article, or valuable thing,

 

service, larger amount obtained, or smaller amount sold or disposed

 

of has a value of less than $200.00, the person is guilty of a

 

misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 93 days or

 

a fine of not more than $500.00 or 3 times the value, whichever is

 

greater, or both imprisonment and a fine.

 

     (3) If any of the following apply, the person is guilty of a

 

misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 1 year or

 

a fine of not more than $2,000.00 or 3 times the value, whichever

 

is greater, or both imprisonment and a fine:

 

     (a) The land, interest in land, money, personal property, use

 

of the instrument, facility, article, or valuable thing, service,

 

larger amount obtained, or smaller amount sold or disposed of has a

 

value of $200.00 or more but less than $1,000.00.

 

     (b) The person violates subsection (2) and has 1 or more prior

 

convictions for committing or attempting to commit an offense under

 

this section or a local ordinance substantially corresponding to

 

this section.

 

     (4) If any of the following apply, the person is guilty of a

 

felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than 5 years or a

 


fine of not more than $10,000.00 or 3 times the value, whichever is

 

greater, or both imprisonment and a fine:

 

     (a) The land, interest in land, money, personal property, use

 

of the instrument, facility, article, or valuable thing, service,

 

larger amount obtained, or smaller amount sold or disposed of has a

 

value of $1,000.00 or more but less than $20,000.00.

 

     (b) The person violates subsection (3)(a) and has 1 or more

 

prior convictions for committing or attempting to commit an offense

 

under this section. For purposes of this subdivision, however, a

 

prior conviction does not include a conviction for a violation or

 

attempted violation of subsection (2) or (3)(b).

 

     (5) If any of the following apply, the person is guilty of a

 

felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than 10 15 years or

 

a fine of not more than $15,000.00 or 3 times the value, whichever

 

is greater, or both imprisonment and a fine:

 

     (a) The land, interest in land, money, personal property, use

 

of the instrument, facility, article, or valuable thing, service,

 

larger amount obtained, or smaller amount sold or disposed of has a

 

value of $20,000.00 or more but less than $50,000.00.

 

     (b) The person violates subsection (4)(a) and has 2 or more

 

prior convictions for committing or attempting to commit an offense

 

under this section. For purposes of this subdivision, however, a

 

prior conviction does not include a conviction for a violation or

 

attempted violation of subsection (2) or (3)(b).

 

     (6) If any of the following apply, the person is guilty of a

 

felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than 15 years or a

 

fine of not more than $25,000.00 or 3 times the value, whichever is

 


greater, or both imprisonment and a fine:

 

     (a) The land, interest in land, money, personal property, use

 

of the instrument, facility, article, or valuable thing, service,

 

larger amount obtained, or smaller amount sold or disposed of has a

 

value of $50,000.00 or more but less than $100,000.00.

 

     (b) The person violates subsection (5)(a) and has 2 or more

 

prior convictions for committing or attempting to commit an offense

 

under this section. For purposes of this subdivision, however, a

 

prior conviction does not include a conviction for a violation or

 

attempted violation of subsection (2) or (3)(b).

 

     (7) If any of the following apply, the person is guilty of a

 

felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than 20 years or a

 

fine of not more than $35,000.00 or 3 times the value, whichever is

 

greater, or both imprisonment and a fine:

 

     (a) The land, interest in land, money, personal property, use

 

of the instrument, facility, article, or valuable thing, service,

 

larger amount obtained, or smaller amount sold or disposed of has a

 

value of $100,000.00 or more.

 

     (b) The person violates subsection (6)(a) and has 2 or more

 

prior convictions for committing or attempting to commit an offense

 

under this section. For purposes of this subdivision, however, a

 

prior conviction does not include a conviction for a violation or

 

attempted violation of subsection (2) or (3)(b).

 

     (8) (6) The values of land, interest in land, money, personal

 

property, use of the instrument, facility, article, or valuable

 

thing, service, larger amount obtained, or smaller amount sold or

 

disposed of in separate incidents pursuant to a scheme or course of

 


conduct within any 12-month period may be aggregated to determine

 

the total value involved in the violation of this section.

 

     (9) (7) If the prosecuting attorney intends to seek an

 

enhanced sentence based upon the defendant having 1 or more prior

 

convictions, the prosecuting attorney shall include on the

 

complaint and information a statement listing the prior conviction

 

or convictions. The existence of the defendant's prior conviction

 

or convictions shall be determined by the court, without a jury, at

 

sentencing or at a separate hearing for that purpose before

 

sentencing. The existence of a prior conviction may be established

 

by any evidence relevant for that purpose, including, but not

 

limited to, 1 or more of the following:

 

     (a) A copy of the judgment of conviction.

 

     (b) A transcript of a prior trial, plea-taking, or sentencing.

 

     (c) Information contained in a presentence report.

 

     (d) The defendant's statement.

 

     (10) (8) If the sentence for a conviction under this section

 

is enhanced by 1 or more prior convictions, those prior convictions

 

shall not be used to further enhance the sentence for the

 

conviction pursuant to under section 10, 11, or 12 of chapter IX of

 

the code of criminal procedure, 1927 PA 175, MCL 769.10, 769.11,

 

and 769.12.

 

     (11) (9) As used in this section, "false pretense" includes,

 

but is not limited to, a false or fraudulent representation,

 

writing, communication, statement, or message, communicated by any

 

means to another person, that the maker of the representation,

 

writing, communication, statement, or message knows is false or

 


fraudulent. The false pretense may be a representation regarding a

 

past or existing fact or circumstance or a representation regarding

 

the intention to perform a future event or to have a future event

 

performed.

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