There are 3 forgery crimes in New York. New York categorizes forgery into different degrees based on the type of document involved and the potential harm.Forgery is a type of whitecollar crime. What is criminal possession of a forged instrument in the third degree? What happens if you are charged and what you should do next? The forgery provisions of the Penal Law are found in Article 170. There are three degrees each of forgery and criminal possession of a forged instrument. Finally, the statute mentions a number of specific documents that, when falsified, constitute forgery. Application for a summons DC-430 File with a verified complaint to request the court to issue a summons if you do not have an attorney.