Two local women are charged with forgery for the second time this month.
Melinda Beth Murphy, 29, allegedly passed a forged check to a bonding company on Jan. 9 to make bail for 27-year-old Molly Sue Lawrence, who was in jail on the previous forgery charges. Sheriff Patrick Ray said Murphy passed a forged check for $500 to a bonding company to make Lawrence’s bail.
Lawrence was again charged with forgery on Jan. 12 when she reportedly was found with a check that belonged to someone else in her possession. The check was allegedly made out to Molly Lawrence in the amount of $350. According to the sheriff, the victim did not give Lawrence the check, nor permission to write one. The cases were investigated by a sheriff's department detective.
Both women were arrested on separate forgery charges earlier this month when they allegedly passed separate checks at a business in Liberty. Murphy is under a $40,000 bond, and she will appear in court on Jan. 22. Lawrence’s bond was set at $20,000, and she will appear in court on Jan. 22.
Meanwhile, 44-year-old Royce Avon Foster was charged with driving on a revoked license (3rd offense), theft of property over $1,000, and burglary on Jan. 13.
The sheriff said a deputy with prior knowledge that Foster's driver’s license was revoked[RV1] , and that he had active warrants against him, spotted Foster driving a vehicle on Jacobs Pillar Road. Foster was stopped, and a check confirmed that his license was revoked.
He was wanted for burglary and theft cases, and the sheriff said that Foster entered an outbuilding on Jacobs Pillar Road on Jan. 12 and took green wrought iron furniture, a Stihl weedeater, a weedeater blade, and a Chaise lounge with a total value of approximately $1,090. The burglary and theft cases were investigated by a sheriff's department detective.
His bond was set at $30,000 and he will appear in court on Jan. 22.
Johnny Ramos, 48, of McMinnville was charged with his fourth offense of driving on a revoked license on Jan. 12.
Ray said a deputy responding to a domestic complaint in which a man was reported to have left the scene in a white Ford van spotted Ramos driving the van while on the way to the scene. He made a traffic stop and learned that Ramos' driver’s license was revoked.
His bond was set at $4,500 and he will appear in court on Feb. 12.
