By Liz Shepherd
InkFreeNews

Eric T. Scott

WARSAW — A Warsaw man received a five-year sentence after stealing checkbooks from a local business.

Eric T. Scott, 52, Warsaw, is charged with fraud on a financial institution, a level 5 felony; possession of cocaine, a level 6 felony; theft, a class A misdemeanor; and possession of paraphernalia, a class C misdemeanor. Two additional criminal charges were dismissed as part of a plea agreement.

Scott was sentenced in Kosciusko Superior Court One on Monday, July 25.

On June 29, 2021, a Warsaw Police officer went to H&L Motors regarding the theft of two checkbooks. While the officer was en route to H&L Motors, he was informed that a man, later identified as Scott, attempted to cash a check from one of the books at Beacon Credit Union.

The officer was provided with Scott’s vehicle description and found Scott at a local gas station. According to court documents, Scott told officers he was contracted by H&L Motors. A business representative for H&L Motors said that was not the case.

A K9 unit alerted to the presence of drugs in Scott’s vehicle, and officers found a glass pipe containing cocaine and a checkbook belonging to the parent company for H&L Motors.

While looking at the checkbook found with Scott, officers discovered a check dated for June 28, made out for $5,500. The name of an H&L Motors representative was forged on the check. Officers also found a carbon copy for another check, dated for June 29, made out for $5,500. That check also had the H&L Motors representative’s name forged onto it.

The checkbook also had two pages where it appeared that Scott practiced forging the representative’s signature. The representative said he didn’t provide those checks to Scott or sign them.

Officers also talked with a bank employee who provided them with a check that Scott had attempted to cash. Surveillance footage from the bank showed Scott trying to cash the check.

During court proceedings, Defense Attorney John Barrett said Scott qualified for participation in community corrections. He noted that a pending criminal case in another county may delay starting his sentence immediately in that program.

Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Matt Buehler said H&L Motors requested $1,000 in restitution from Scott for time they spent addressing problems that Scott caused. Barrett argued there was lacking information on damages incurred by the business.

Scott’s fraud on a financial institution, cocaine possession, and paraphernalia possession charges will all be served concurrently, or at the same time. Special Judge Robert Kirsch gave Scott a four-year sentence at the Indiana Department of Correction, with three years executed and one year suspended on probation.

Scott also received a one-year sentence at the Kosciusko County Jail for theft, with the entirety of the one-year suspended on probation. This sentence will be served consecutively to the four-year DoC sentence.

In total, Scott received a five-year sentence, with three years executed and two years on probation. Scott is allowed to serve the executed portion through a local community corrections program.

Judge Kirsch also determined there was not a sufficient, factual basis to award $1,000 in restitution to H&L Motors.