What would be the charges for Forging signature on the back of a stolen check and depositing in bank acct.?

A friend of mine used to work for a Secretarial type company that had mail boxes. She said there was a woman that moved away to some foreign country, and she her mail box was suspended due to non payment and the mail was being held. My friend thinking that the woman wouldn't return to collect her mail, took a check that was within the woman's mail, and signed the woman's name on the back of the check, and then my friend deposited the check into her bank account. Approximatly 2 years later my friend got a phone call from the bank telling her that she needs to pay back this check because it was illegally deposited, and the woman who the money rightfully belongs to would like her money back. So my friend made an agreement to pay back the money, which she did. Then, a few months after that, the Justice Department called her and told her that they needed to speak with her about the check. She went in and admited on tape to doing what she had done.
Your friend is screwed, all the charges filed against her will be federal, since stealing mail is a federal offense.

At a minimum your friend will be charged with forgery, check fraud, and tampering with the mail. If she goes to prison, it will be federal time, and they have what's known as truth in sentencing. Hypothetically, if she were sentenced to 5 years, she would do every second of that 5 years, no probation or anything. Hope everything works out for her.
That is a felony offense punishable by jail time and fines
identity theft/impersonation + tampering with mail + theft =time
I'll go one up one that...it is a federal felony.

Fraud, wire fraud, forgery, mail fraud.= jail


Answer:
She could be fined, sent to jail, or given probation (community service and have to meet with an officer on a scheduled basis). She needs to get a lawyer. She commited a SERIOUS crime of forgery. It helps if she paid back the money to the bank but she needs to take this seriously. If she cant afford a lawyer she needs to ask for one if they arrest her or tell her to come to court.
tell her to get a lawyer now.

the big mistake was made when she paid back the bank without first consulting a lawyer - that amounts to an admission of guilt.

she needs to go through all of her correspondance with the bank and see if there was ever any hint of an agreement by the bank to not prosecute if she paid the money back, though the fact that it was a bank and not a private company might mean that such deals are simply not made...
It was a felony. The charges could be theft by deceit, fraudulent cashing of stolen check, forgery, probably other things, as well. They will take their pick and slap charges, probably. The bank and/or the rightful owner of the check may also be involved in prosecuting this offense to which your friend admitted. Her excuse for doing this doesn't matter, she did it. I just don't quite understand the delay of over two years. I don't think that there is a statute of limitation on felony fraud or forgery however. The fact that she paid the money back may help her case, a bright note to it. Good luck.