What does theft and forgery of stolen checks include?

The correct answer is the act of criminally making checks out to oneself, as this involves a deliberate and illegal action of altering or forging a check for personal gain. This action encompasses the essential elements of theft and forgery, where an individual unlawfully uses a stolen check by making it appear as though it is legitimately issued and payable to them.

In this context, the act demonstrates an understanding of intent and manipulation of documents, which is central to both theft and forgery offenses. The act of creating or altering a check demonstrates not only possession but also the intent to commit fraud by misrepresenting the legitimacy and authorization of the check.

Possessing checks does not inherently imply criminal activity; the checks must be altered or used in a deceptive manner for theft and forgery to be established. Simply using checks without any changes or modifications does not involve forgery unless the checks are used in a context that misrepresents their authenticity or ownership. Reporting stolen checks, although an important action, does not pertain to the actual criminal acts of theft and forgery, as it does not include the act of using those checks illicitly. Thus, the focus on criminally making checks out to oneself clearly delineates the unlawful engagement with stolen checks.