MONROE - A Cobb woman who authorities say stole two checks from her grandfather, wrote them out to herself, forged his signature and cashed them, faces charges in Green County Circuit Court.
Jessica L. Eichorst, 25, is charged with two Class H felony counts of forgery. If convicted, she could face a six-year prison sentence, $20,000 in fines, or both.
Eichorst was in court Thursday for a preliminary hearing. She said she has not retained an attorney but filed paperwork with the public defender's office last week.
Court records indicate Eichorst signed a $2,000 signature bond May 4 ordering her not to have contact with her grandfather or another woman involved in the case unless another adult is present. She is also not to reside with her grandfather or possess "negotiable instruments," such as checks, that belong to others, police records say.
Eichorst allegedly wrote herself a $600 check from her grandfather's checkbook March 4, and another for $300 March 25.
Her grandfather reportedly contacted police April 7 after his bank informed him his checking account was over-drafted. He examined bank records and saw the two checks written out to Eichorst, according to police reports. He told police he hadn't given Eichorst or anyone else permission to use his checkbook.
The grandfather provided a sample of Eichorst's handwriting to investigators, police records indicate, who noted in their report that it appeared similar to the handwriting on the checks.
In May, Eichorst allegedly told police she took checks from her grandfather without his permission, filled them out and cashed them at her bank in Brodhead.
In a separate, now-closed case in Lafayette County Circuit Court, Eichorst pleaded no contest to three counts of credit card theft and fraud in May 2013, according to court records. The charges stemmed from an incident in which Eichorst stole a credit card from her then-employer, Sienna Crest Assisted Living in Darlington, and made six purchases with the card at the Darlington Piggly Wiggly in the fall of 2012.
In June 2014, Eichorst was granted a deferred prosecution agreement in which the charges would have been dismissed if she complied with all conditions of the agreement. Police records indicate the agreement was revoked June 25 and Eichorst owes the court $875 in that case.
Eichorst is due back in court July 17 for another preliminary hearing in the new case.
Jessica L. Eichorst, 25, is charged with two Class H felony counts of forgery. If convicted, she could face a six-year prison sentence, $20,000 in fines, or both.
Eichorst was in court Thursday for a preliminary hearing. She said she has not retained an attorney but filed paperwork with the public defender's office last week.
Court records indicate Eichorst signed a $2,000 signature bond May 4 ordering her not to have contact with her grandfather or another woman involved in the case unless another adult is present. She is also not to reside with her grandfather or possess "negotiable instruments," such as checks, that belong to others, police records say.
Eichorst allegedly wrote herself a $600 check from her grandfather's checkbook March 4, and another for $300 March 25.
Her grandfather reportedly contacted police April 7 after his bank informed him his checking account was over-drafted. He examined bank records and saw the two checks written out to Eichorst, according to police reports. He told police he hadn't given Eichorst or anyone else permission to use his checkbook.
The grandfather provided a sample of Eichorst's handwriting to investigators, police records indicate, who noted in their report that it appeared similar to the handwriting on the checks.
In May, Eichorst allegedly told police she took checks from her grandfather without his permission, filled them out and cashed them at her bank in Brodhead.
In a separate, now-closed case in Lafayette County Circuit Court, Eichorst pleaded no contest to three counts of credit card theft and fraud in May 2013, according to court records. The charges stemmed from an incident in which Eichorst stole a credit card from her then-employer, Sienna Crest Assisted Living in Darlington, and made six purchases with the card at the Darlington Piggly Wiggly in the fall of 2012.
In June 2014, Eichorst was granted a deferred prosecution agreement in which the charges would have been dismissed if she complied with all conditions of the agreement. Police records indicate the agreement was revoked June 25 and Eichorst owes the court $875 in that case.
Eichorst is due back in court July 17 for another preliminary hearing in the new case.