By Liz Shepherd
InkFreeNews

Sharon Marie Jackson

WARSAW — A Warsaw woman will serve six months in jail after forging a check and using another woman’s driver’s license for identification purposes without permission.

Sharon Marie Jackson, 41, 1835 Sharon St., Warsaw, was charged with forgery and identity deception, both level 6 felonies. Fraud on a financial institution and theft charges were both dismissed as part of a plea agreement.

Jackson was sentenced in Kosciusko Superior Court 3 on Tuesday, Nov. 17.

On Dec. 13, 2019, a Warsaw Police officer went to Beacon Credit Union regarding a report of a person attempting to cash a fraudulent check.

According to court documents, a Beacon Credit Union employee told the officer that a woman tried to cash a check in the amount of $431. Due to the account being previously flagged, the check could not be cashed without the account’s owner being present.

After several minutes, the woman left the bank and left behind the driver’s license she used to identify herself, as well as the check. The driver’s license belonged to another woman and was reported stolen in Fort Wayne.

During the investigation, the officer spoke with the credit union account’s owner on the phone. The owner noticed a check was missing from his checkbook and said he didn’t give permission for anyone to take the check, complete it or sign his name.

Through surveillance video, social media and jail booking photos, the officer identified the woman who attempted to cash the check as Jackson.

For each criminal charge, Jackson was sentenced to two years in prison, with both counts to be served concurrently; six months of her sentence will be executed and 18 months will be served on probation.