Is forgery of my signature on a check a felony?

I am expecting a child with a man who stole a book of checks and wrote a $49 check and signed my name on a closed account. I reported it. There is talk of a sentence of 2 years. While I do not want his crime to go unpunished, he would miss the birth and first 2 years of his daughter's life. Which, is quite extreme for $49. What will happen if I try to "undo" these charges. I expected a fine, or a record of the incident. NOT 2 years in prison. Is it really this severe, or are they trying to scare him?