Dawnelle Engleman Bound Over For Trial On Forgery Charges

A Casper woman will be tried in Natrona County District Court on nearly two dozen fraud-related counts.

Dawnelle Engleman, 40, waived her preliminary hearing in circuit court on Thursday. If she had not waived, prosecutors would have had to show there was probable cause that a crime was committed and she committed it.

Engleman's bond was reduced from $15,000 to $7,500. She remains in custody.

Engleman is charged with 21 counts of forgery, one count of conspiracy to commit forgery, and one count of obtaining goods by false pretenses. If convicted, each count is punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment.

A trial date has not been set.

The victim reported in October that her checking account had been depleted of almost $5,000 in less than a month and further found a number of checks that she did not write.

She suspected two people could have done what was done, because one was her grandson, Donald Raines, and his former girlfriend, Engleman.

According to the police affidavit, Engleman wrote most of the checks at both Casper Walmarts, and signed them with the name of Raines' grandmother.

Police reviewed store security camera footage and receipts, and determined Engleman was the one signing the checks with the victim’s name. Engleman also was identified because she sometimes had a cast on her arm.

Many times after purchasing items, Raines drove across town to the other store and return them for cash.

Engleman initially and vehemently denied writing any of the checks, saying she didn’t have a checking account. She also denied being the female in the security camera photos.

Possible charges against Raines are pending.