(A) No person, having devised a scheme to defraud, shall knowingly disseminate, transmit, or cause to be disseminated or transmitted by means of a wire, radio, satellite, telecommunication, telecommunications device, or telecommunications service any writing, data, sign, signal, picture, sound, or image with purpose to execute or otherwise further the scheme to defraud.

(B) If an offender commits a violation of division (A) of this section and the violation occurs as part of a course of conduct involving other violations of division (A) of this section or violations of, attempts to violate, conspiracies to violate, or complicity in violations of section 2913.02, 2913.04, 2913.11, 2913.21, 2913.31, 2913.42, 2913.43, or 2921.13 of the Revised Code, the court, in determining the degree of the offense pursuant to division (C) of this section, may aggregate the value of the benefit obtained by the offender or of the detriment to the victim of the fraud in the violations involved in that course of conduct. The course of conduct may involve one victim or more than one victim.

(C) Whoever violates this section is guilty of telecommunications fraud. Except as otherwise provided in this division, telecommunications fraud is a felony of the fifth degree. If the value of the benefit obtained by the offender or of the detriment to the victim of the fraud is one thousand dollars or more but less than seven thousand five hundred dollars, telecommunications fraud is a felony of the fourth degree. If the value of the benefit obtained by the offender or of the detriment to the victim of the fraud is seven thousand five hundred dollars or more but less than one hundred fifty thousand dollars, telecommunications fraud is a felony of the third degree. If the value of the benefit obtained by the offender or of the detriment to the victims of the fraud is one hundred fifty thousand dollars or more but less than one million dollars, telecommunications fraud is a felony of the second degree. If the value of the benefit obtained by the offender or of the detriment to the victims of the fraud is one million dollars or more, telecommunications fraud is a felony of the first degree.

Amended by 129th General AssemblyFile No.88, SB 223, §1, eff. 6/8/2012.

Effective Date: 03-30-1999 .