Fraud / Forgery in Roanoke City

Fraud and forgery cases in Roanoke City are dismissed at a rate of 61.9 percent, slightly above Virginia's statewide average of 59.8 percent. This two-point difference suggests Roanoke City handles these charges comparably to the state overall, though the city leans marginally toward dismissal. With a conviction rate of 38.1 percent and zero acquittals across 133 cases, most convictions result from guilty pleas rather than trial verdicts—37.1 percent of all cases ended in plea agreements. The high dismissal rate indicates that many fraud and forgery charges do not survive initial scrutiny or are resolved before trial.

Cases move through Roanoke City courts relatively quickly, with a median disposition time of 84 days. Half of defendants see their cases resolved within 46 to 181 days. When convicted, defendants face a median sentence of 730 days, though sentences vary considerably—the average sits higher at 643 days, suggesting some cases result in significantly longer terms. Charge reductions occurred in only 5.3 percent of cases, with half of those reductions downgrading to malicious signature-affixing charges, while the remainder shifted to petit larceny or fraud under $1,000.