What is the penalty for check fraud?

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Hi, I have a friend (really, this is actually a friend) who tried to (stupidly) cash a check from some dead guy's account. Of course, the dead guy's attorney stopped it; and now he's facing possible jail time. My question primarily is: is he really in big trouble? I mean, I told him that he probably didn't have anything to worry about because the dead guy, is, well, dead and therefore cannot establish that he didn't intend to write the check. Also, the check was only for $250(?) so would it really be a top priority for prosecutors? Thank you!

Additional Details

Oh I think I misspoke a bit when I first wrote this... I meant to clarify that the check was made out when the guy was alive, signed by the guy while he was alive with everything except the payee included. That's when my friend decided to go for some "easy money" and put his name in... anyways, the guy was a relative of his, and I don't think he anticipated that he would get caught (as with most crimes, I suppose :-p).

What is the penalty for check fraud?