Opinion ID: 2156908
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: The Tampering-With-Records Charge.

Text: Defendant urges that he cannot be found guilty of tampering with records in violation of Iowa Code section 715A.5 because that statute relates to private records and a certificate of title is a public record. Criminal prosecutions involving the tampering with public records, defendant asserts, may not be pursued under section 715A.5, but rather are punishable under Iowa Code section 718.5. We are not persuaded that defendant's contention is correct. We have held previously that the falsification of an application for a certificate of title to a motor vehicle is not punishable, as a falsification of public documents under section 718.5, because that statute only relates to altering the completed acts of public servants. State v. Barnholtz, 613 N.W.2d 218, 221 (Iowa 2000). The public record involving the motor vehicle titled in Alonzo's name was not altered by defendant's actions, so he did not violate that statute. On the other hand, section 715A.5, under which defendant was charged, has been interpreted broadly to include not only formal business records but also other writings that have been falsified with an intent to deceive. Walker, 574 N.W.2d at 288-89 (creation of false proof of service on a subpoena never served); State v. Romeo, 542 N.W.2d 543, 547-50 (Iowa 1996) (creation of false sales receipts). In both Walker and Romeo, we viewed falsification as used in this statute as including forgery. Walker, 574 N.W.2d at 289; Romeo, 542 N.W.2d at 547-50. That defendant acted with intent to deceive is almost an inescapable conclusion from the evidence. He deliberately provided the name of another person to motor vehicle authorities in order to obtain a certificate of title to a motor vehicle that he could not have obtained using his correct name. There was sufficient evidence for the jury to convict the defendant of a violation of section 715A.5. We have considered all issues presented and conclude that the judgments of the district court should be affirmed. AFFIRMED.