(a) No person shall knowingly make a false statement, or knowingly swear or affirm the truth of a false statement previously made, when any of the following applies:
(1) The statement is made in any official proceeding;
(2) The statement is made with purpose to incriminate another;
(3) The statement is made with purpose to mislead a public official in performing the public official’s function;
(4) The statement is made with purpose to secure the payment of unemployment compensation; Ohio works first; prevention, retention, and contingency benefits and services; disability financial assistance; retirement benefits; economic development assistance, as defined in RC 9.66; or other benefits administered by a governmental agency or paid out of a public treasury;
(5) The statement is made with purpose to secure the issuance by a governmental agency of a license, permit, authorization, certificate, registration, release, or provider agreement;
(6) The statement is sworn or affirmed before a notary public or another person empowered to administer oaths;
(7) The statement is in writing on or in connection with a report or return that is required or authorized by law;
(8) The statement is in writing, and is made with purpose to induce another to extend credit to or to employ the offender, or to confer any degree, diploma, certificate of attainment, award of excellence or honor on the offender, or to extend to or bestow upon the offender any other valuable benefit or distinction, when the person to whom such statement is directed relies upon it to his or her detriment;
(9) The statement is made with purpose to commit or facilitate the commission of a theft offense if the value of the property or services stolen is less than five hundred dollars ($500.00);
(10) The statement is knowingly made to a probate court in connection with any action, proceeding, or other matter within its jurisdiction, either orally or in a written document, including, but not limited to, an application, petition, complaint, or other pleading, or an inventory, account, or report;
(11) The statement is made on an account, form, record, stamp, label or other writing that is required by law;
(12) The statement is made in a document or instrument of writing that purports to be a judgment, lien, or claim of indebtedness and is filed or recorded with the secretary of state, a country recorder, or the clerk of court of record;
(13) The statement is made with purpose to obtain an Ohio’s best Rx program enrollment card under RC 5110.09 or a payment from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services under RC 5110.17;
(14) The statement is required under RC 5743.72 in connection with the person’s purchase of cigarettes or tobacco products in a delivery sale.
(b) It is no defense to a charge under division (a)(6) of this section that the oath or affirmation was administered or taken in an irregular manner.
(c) Where contradictory statements relating to the same fact are made by the offender within the period of the statute of limitations for falsification, it is not necessary for the prosecution to prove which statement was false, but only that one (1) or the other was false.
(d) (1) Whoever violates any provision of divisions (a)(1) to (8) or (a)(10) to (14) of this section is guilty of falsification, a misdemeanor of the first degree.
(2) Whoever violates division (a)(9) of this section is guilty of falsification in a theft offense a misdemeanor of the first degree.
(e) A person who violates this section is subject to a civil action as described in division (G) of RC 2921.13.
(RC 2921.13; Ord. No. 1631-05. Passed 3-20-06, eff. 3-24-06)