YOUNGSTOWN Woman pleads guilty in counterfeit check ring

By BOB JACKSON
VINDICATOR COURTHOUSE REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- A city woman faces three years for taking part in a counterfeit check ring.
Gail Black, 31, of Ridge Street, pleaded guilty Thursday in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court to four counts of forgery, two counts of theft and one count each of tampering with records and taking the identity of another.
Judge Jack Durkin ordered her to the county jail while a background check is done. She will be sentenced when the report is finished.
Assistant Prosecutor Lori Shells said Black is one of several women suspected of taking part in the counterfeit check ring. Another woman, 28-year-old Rochelle Robinson of Toledo, was indicted last week by a county grand jury on charges of forgery and engaging in a pattern of illegal activity.
Shells said the investigation is continuing, and other women could eventually be charged. She expects Robinson's case to eventually be resolved with a plea agreement.
Confessions
The women used their home computers to print out bogus checks, made out to look like corporate checks from several local companies, authorities say. They deposited the checks at local banks and withdrew the funds, sometimes through automated teller machines.
"If you know the [company's] routing number and the account numbers, you can pretty well do anything," Shells said of the counterfeiting scheme.
She said both Black and Robinson made confessions to police after their arrests. Shells did not have an exact amount but said the scheme has resulted in thousands of dollars in loss.
Shells said Black faces similar charges in Trumbull County.
bjackson@vindy.com