Nine more Kentucky residents to be prosecuted

 

One of 11 Kentucky residents involved in check forging in Lawrence County was sentenced Wednesday in Lawrence County Common Pleas Court.

Lesley Ann Church, 30, 7928 Paddle Creek Road, Catlettsburg, Ky., pleaded guilty to fifth-degree forgery, through her attorney, Philip Heald.

Church and 10 other Kentucky residents were investigated by the United States Secret Service and indicted in January for cashing counterfeit payroll checks in their own names at banks and grocery stores in Lawrence County.

Judge Charles Cooper sentenced Church to four years community-controlled sanctions, 30 days in jail, 200 hours of community service and ordered her to pay $641 in restitution to Walmart.

Church is the second person to be sentenced for the forgery charge investigated by the secret service.

In March, Walter Warner, 41, of 911 Chestnut Drive, Ashland, Ky., pleaded guilty and was sentenced to six months in prison for the same charge.

Also Wednesday, Jerry Lanham, 54, 1224 Prospect Avenue, Worthington, Ky., was arraigned on two counts of forgery related to the same investigation.

Lanham pleaded not guilty through his attorney, Scott Evans.

Cooper set bond at $2,500 cash or surety and scheduled a pretrial for June 13.

In other cases:

• Ellen Yoder, 24, of 1397 Township Road 250, South Point, pleaded guilty to amended charges.

Yoder was originally charged with second-degree complicity to burglary, but Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Mack Anderson lowered the charge to a fourth-degree felony due to her cooperation throughout the case and in regard to co-defendant Anthony Adams.

Adams, 30, of 1937 Township Road 250, South Point, pleaded guilty earlier this month to two counts of second-degree burglary and was sentenced to five years in prison.

Cooper sentenced Yoder to three years CCS under intensive supervised probation.

Yoder was represented by attorney J.T. Holt.

• Amber Craft, 26, 2448 County Road 56, Ironton, was arraigned on third-degree attempted trafficking in drugs and tampering with evidence, one felony and misdemeanor count of possession of drugs and fourth-degree trafficking in drugs.

Craft pleaded not guilty through her attorney, Mike Gleichauf.

Cooper continued bond from a lower court and scheduled a pre-trail for June 13.

• Brian Evans, 45, of 4004 State Route 7, Chesapeake, was arraigned on three counts of first-degree rape of a juvenile acquaintance.

Evans pleaded not guilty through his attorney, Luke Styer.

Cooper set bond at $300,000 cash and scheduled a pretrial for June 13.

• Daniel Morgan, 19, of 1009 Market St., Worthington, Ky., was arraigned on three counts of first-degree felonious assault against Ironton Police Officers John Hammonds and Larry Large, as well as Raceland Police Officer Harper Howell; first degree illegal manufacture of meth and third-degree failure to comply with the order or signal of police officer.

Morgan pleaded not guilty through his attorney, Scott Evans.

Morgan allegedly led Raceland Police officers into Ohio after a DUI stop in April. He was apprehended at the 1500 block of Lawrence Street, but not before he allegedly tried to run over the three officers. A mobile meth lab was also allegedly found in the truck.

Cooper set a $300,000 bond and scheduled a pretrial for June 13.

• Albert Moton, 45, of 601 S. Ninth St., Ironton, was arraigned on one count of fifth-degree possession of cocaine.

Moton pleaded not guilty through his attorney Warren Morford.

Cooper set bond at $10,000 cash or surety and scheduled a pretrial for June 13.

• Travis Craft, 22, of 96 Private Drive 1751 County Road 26, South Point, was arraigned on one count each of first-degree aggravated burglary and second-degree felonious assault.

Craft pleaded not guilty through his attorney, J.T. Holt.

Cooper set bond at $500,000 cash or surety and scheduled a pretrial for June 13.