Woman answers for charges 21/2 years after cashing forged checks

Staff report

AUSTINTOWN

A Warren woman wanted for 21/2 years is now facing charges of forging checks and cashing them in Austintown and Girard.

Jadanai S. Priest, 39, of North Street NW in Warren, was arraigned Wednesday in Mahoning County Area Court in Austintown for felony forgery and theft. She is purported to have forged a check and cashed it for $1,983 in December 2012 at Farmers National Bank, 22 N. Canfield-Niles Road in Austintown.

“We couldn’t find her,” said Detective Jordan Yacovone of Austintown police. He said she was found by authorities in Trumbull County after a recent traffic stop. Both Yacovone and Girard Det. Scott Strain said the three cases would not be combined.

She has a preliminary hearing at 9 a.m. July 1 in Austintown court.

Priest also faces felony passing bad checks and theft by deception charges in Girard and was arraigned there by video May 29. She had a preliminary hearing scheduled in Girard for 2 p.m. Wednesday. Bail was set at $5,000 or 10-percent cash or surety bond in Girard. In Austintown, her bond was set at $5,000 cash or surety bond.

Details of a third case in Niles were not known Wednesday.