AI-assisted research summary: It is unlawful to forge, pass, present, counterfeit, steal, possess, or try to redeem stolen lottery tickets; penalties increase with the ticket value.
6-24-31. Forgery of lottery ticket; penalty. A. It is unlawful to falsely make, alter, forge, pass, present or counterfeit, with intent to defraud, a lottery ticket, or receipt for the purchase thereof, issued or purported to have been issued by the lottery under the New Mexico Lottery Act. B. It is unlawful to steal, knowingly possess or attempt to redeem stolen lottery tickets. C. A person who violates the provisions of Subsection A of this section when: (1) the value of all things received in return for the forged lottery ticket or forged receipt for the purchase of a lottery ticket is one hundred dollars ($100) or less is guilty of a petty misdemeanor and shall be sentenced pursuant to the provisions of Section 31-19-1 NMSA 1978; (2) the value of all things received in return for the forged lottery ticket or forged receipt for the purchase of a lottery ticket is more than one hundred dollars ($100) but not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) is guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be sentenced pursuant to the provisions of Section 31-19-1 NMSA 1978; (3) the value of all things received in return for the forged lottery ticket or forged receipt for the purchase of a lottery ticket is more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) but not more than two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) is guilty of a fourth degree felony and shall be sentenced pursuant to the provisions of Section 31- 18-15 NMSA 1978; (4) the value of all things received in return for the forged lottery ticket or forged receipt for the purchase of a lottery ticket is more than two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) but not more than twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) is guilty of a third degree felony and shall be sentenced pursuant to the provisions of Section 31-18-15 NMSA 1978; and (5) the value of all things received in return for the forged lottery ticket or forged receipt for the purchase of a lottery ticket is more than twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) is guilty of a second degree felony and shall be sentenced pursuant to the provisions of Section 31-18-15 NMSA 1978. D. A person who violates the provisions of Subsection B of this section when: (1) the face value of the lottery tickets is one hundred dollars ($100) or less is guilty of a petty misdemeanor and shall be sentenced pursuant to the provisions of Section 31-19-1 NMSA 1978; (2) the face value of the lottery tickets is more than one hundred dollars ($100) but not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) is guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be sentenced pursuant to the provisions of Section 31-19-1 NMSA 1978; (3) the face value of the lottery tickets is more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) but not more than two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) is guilty of a fourth degree felony and shall be sentenced pursuant to the provisions of Section 31- 18-15 NMSA 1978; (4) the face value of the lottery tickets is more than two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) but not more than twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) is guilty of a third degree felony and shall be sentenced pursuant to the provisions of Section 31-18-15 NMSA 1978; and (5) the face value of the lottery tickets is more than twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) is guilty of a second degree felony and shall be sentenced pursuant to the provisions of Section 31-18-15 NMSA 1978. History: Laws 1995, ch. 155, § 31; 1999, ch. 287, § 5.