Dawnelle Engleman Pleads Guilty To Forgery
A Casper woman has admitted that she went on a spending spree, with someone else's money.
Dawnelle Engleman has pleaded guilty to 12 counts of forgery, and one count of obtaining property by false pretenses. (Nine counts of forgery and one count of conspiracy to commit forgery dismissed)
Investigators with the Casper Police Department say in October 2015, the victim alerted police that her checking account had been depleted of almost $5,000 in less than one month and upon review, she found a number of checks that she did not write.
She suspected two people could have done what was done, because they had stayed at her residence in the past and had access to her checkbook.
Those two ended up being Engleman and Donald Raines.
The majority of the checks were written at both Casper Wal-Marts, and upon reviewing security camera footage and receipts, police say Engleman was the one signing the checks with the victim's name and sometimes, Engleman was identified because she had a cast on her arm.
Many times after purchasing high dollar items, Raines would then return the item with receipt, almost immediately to the other Wal-Mart store and receive cash.
When interviewed by police, Engleman said she didn't write any of the checks, because she didn't have a checking account.
She also denied being the female in a number of security camera photos, but did acknowledge that the female wearing a cast was her.
She added that a few transactions that she made were authorized by the victim, but the victim told investigators she never gave anyone permission.
As part of a plea deal, prosecutors will seek no more than a five-to-seven year prison sentence.
Engleman will also have to pay an undetermined amount of restitution.
She is being held on $7,500 bond and will be sentenced at a later date.